Open Arms
by Morningglory5510
Summary: Sophia Roe is the replacement for Hagrid when he leaves in OotP. Her happy-go-lucky nature is just the opposite of our sour Potions professor, Severus Snape, but what will happen when these two unlikely characters fall in love?
1. Chapter 1

"I present to you, Professor Sophia Roe. She will be taking the position of Care of Magical Creatures professor while Hagrid is away," Dumbledore stated. "She will also be an apprentice to Professor Sprout this term."

Sophia, Sophie, stood before the Hogwarts staff hoping for their approval with a timid smile on her face. She was excited to be starting her career at the most famous wizarding school in the world, but also nervous that maybe she wouldn't fit in. Never in her life had she met someone who she didn't get along with, but that didn't make her any less afraid.

A sigh of relief left her when Dumbledore announced her name to the rest of the staff and their faces broke out into smiles, warm and welcoming. The pleasantries began, introducing themselves to her and telling her that she would fit in wonderfully.

Sophie remembered a lot of these faces from her days at school, many of them having been her teachers. She looked at the faces of McGonagall and Dumbledore, who had definitely been there, and then a few of the younger faces, who she recognized from the Prophet and other such things.

"And I present, Professor Delores Umbridge who will be taking the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Dumbledore said.

There was a twinkle in the eyes of the old man as he announced this and just then the toad-like woman made a noise to call attention to herself.

"Hm-hm," she called.

All eyes turned towards her, dressed in all pink with an almost sadistic smile on her face. There was something underneath the smile that had an air of awfulness.

"I would just like to say that I am very happy to be working here, amongst you fine professors. Even though I have been appointed this position by the Minister himself, I would just like to say that I want each and every one of you to feel as if I am your equal. We must all get along to be working together here," she stated in the most unpleasant voice imaginable.

Sophie found herself cringing against the sickly sweet sound of Umbridge's announcement.

Umbridge smiled at all of the other professors as they regarded her with a sudden feeling of contempt. Who was this woman? Why did she think she held all the power in the world? How could Dumbledore have hired such an awful person to teach their students?

As the awkward silence continued passed a comfortable amount of time, Dumbledore intervened.

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge, for those wonderful words of encouragement," he told her. "I think that is all. Dinner will be served in promptly two minutes and I, for one, would immensely enjoy a slice of lemon tart."

The room slowly erupted into soft murmuring and the teachers dispersed into groups to quietly talk amongst themselves. Sophie was immediately pulled into Professor Sprout's group, having much to talk about with her new mentor. The only person left alone in the room was Professor Severus Snape. Even Umbridge had branched off and decided to talk with McGonagall about her plans for the upcoming year as Dumbledore discussed the idea of opening a choir class to the younger students with Professor Flitwick.

Snape stood in a corner by himself, his arms folded across his chest as he observed the rest of the room. He stared at the new woman, Professor Roe. She was smiling as she talked among the other professors who had already seemed to take a liking to her. Immediately he felt the opposite feelings. Disgust, dislike, and disdain for her were already there. Who was she to get such a reaction from these people? Surely not everyone could like her, and Snape instantly knew that he wouldn't be one of the people that did.

When the start of term feast came around, Professor Sophia Roe found herself nearly shaking with nerves. After all, this was her first year as a professor and what if she did something wrong? What if the students hated her and she failed Dumbledore? What if she was no good?

The weight of it all had her shivering, so afraid of going out there and seeing the waves of students that would be there. They would be waiting for her to teach them. Then she thought of the first years, the newest kids to the school. They had no expectations of her at all. Surely it could not be so bad to experiment with them.

Sophie took a deep breath and banished all thoughts of inadequacy. She put on a smile and got ready to see the faces of the students she would be teaching. Another experience for her, something that would surely be enjoyable and rewarding as all of the other professors had told her it was.

"Nervous, Ms. Roe?" a deep voice asked from behind her.

Sophie turned to find that Severus Snape stood there, staring her down with his cold, dark eyes.

"Just a little," she replied to him honestly, the smile still planted firmly on her face.

Snape's eyebrow rose high on his forehead as he watched her coolly, "A little? You seem to have forgotten that this is the entrance for the rest of us in your 'little' bout of nerves. Surely even you could remember that other professors must use this door."

The young professor flushed red as she stuttered an apology, jumping out of the way.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Snape. I didn't realize-" she said quickly.

His eyes held no sympathy, "Of course you didn't realize, foolish woman."

With that said, he swooped through the door and up to the professor's table for the beginning of term feast, a sour look on his face. Of course Dumbledore would hire a dimwitted woman to replace the half-giant.

Snape sat at the Head Table in his usual spot at the end, glancing around at the empty hall. He savored the silence as it resonated about the room. This would be the last time this place saw quiet in quite a long time, he knew.

A few moments later, Sophia Roe stepped through the teacher's entrance and walked along the table until she found an empty seat, the only one being the spot directly next to him. Snape knew that the other professors did not get on with him well and he didn't find them particularly pleasant either and so he'd done his best to keep his distance, but now he found himself sitting beside their new young professor and wished he would have found some better company. Perhaps she would learn her place quickly, but he didn't think so.

Sophia smiled at him warmly, but Snape simply sneered. Smiling at Severus Snape? This new girl was something else.

"Good evening, Professor Snape," she greeted, as though he had not just been insulting her in the hallway moments before.

Snape considered not replying, but decided that he must at least say something.

"Ms. Roe," he answered curtly.

She continued to smile at him and then turned to greet the professor who sat to her left. Snape rolled his eyes at the woman and stared coldly out at the Great Hall as he waited for the feast to begin.

Sophie was talking to Professor Flitwick animatedly about his new choir classes and what he wanted to do for Christmas and Halloween decorations, but secretly she was thinking about Snape. She had seen him a few times before in the halls and at mealtimes, though they weren't required to eat together during the summer. All of the teachers had arrived a week early to prepare for their classes and Sophie had spent the time working diligently, but also silently wondering about Hogwart's most secretive professor.

Obviously she knew a little about him, everyone knew who Professor Severus Snape was, but she wanted to know about him. He didn't seem thrilled about working here, not like the other teachers did, and he seemed to dread the moment when the students arrived. So what was he doing here? What did he want out of all of this? Why was he so miserable?

These thoughts plagued her mind for a few moments, but she was not able to ponder on them long, for the doors had opened and in came the mass of students she would be teaching this coming semester.

Young witches and wizards of every age came pouring into the hall and Sophie felt her fears wash away as their noise filled the room. A smile lit her face as they took their seats. Professor McGonagall led in the first years then.

The stool and hat sat before the rest of the school as the sorting began. McGonagall unrolled her scroll and started to read off the names. Down the list, each student was placed into their own house. Sophie clapped for each and every one of them, finding that she was perhaps one of the only professors to do so genuinely besides Dumbledore.

Though she had been in Ravenclaw as a student, Sophie felt no real bond to any house. Obviously her house held her loyalty, but she didn't see any reason not to like the other houses. She'd had so many friends from every house, including Slytherin, though they had the worst rep.

Snape was surprised to find that the woman beside him seemed genuinely happy with all of the results during the sorting. She clapped just as vigorously for those sorted into Slytherin as into Gryffindor, even those in Hufflepuff were given a proud round of applause from the chipper professor.

For the life of him, just by watching her clap for the sorting, he couldn't figure out which house she had been in when she'd gone to school here. Snape guessed Hufflepuff simply because she was so nice to everyone. A woman that happy all the time had to have been a Hufflepuff and no doubt awful at nearly everything she attempted to go along with it. That was the only explanation he could come up with.

He was very nearly tempted to question her about it, his curiosity now burning, but he daren't try to make pleasant conversation with the woman. She would only take it as a sign that she could talk to him freely from now on and he certainly didn't want that. No, he'd just have to bear it and listen to see if she mentioned it while talking to one of the other professors. Snape only knew how many times house loyalties were questioned in this school, even amongst professors who were supposed to be unbiased.

So, Snape sat in silence, glowering down at the new batch of students who would certainly be a lost cause and therefore a distraction in his classroom. Hardly any of his students ever showed even a smidge of potential and he'd become discouraged trying to polish up any of those who had. He did not have time to deal with dunderheads who couldn't focus on the difference between the properties of unicorn horn and hair.

"You seem to have quite a few new students in your house, Professor Snape," came a voice to his left.

Severus looked over to find that Sophia Roe was looking up at him with a half-smile and bright eyes, waiting for his reply. He glanced over his table and took count of how many first years he had in his house. She was right; there were a lot of Slytherins in this bunch.

"Yes," he replied. "So it seems."

He glanced over the rest of the houses to tally the number of income in their houses. Yes, perhaps Slytherin had acquired a fair amount of the students coming in that year.

It seemed as if she were about to say more and Severus was bracing himself for the conversation she was bound to try and have when Dumbledore rose from his seat in the middle of the long table and called the Hall into silence.

He gave the usual warnings, rules, and greetings to the students. He then introduced the newest of his staff, calling first Sophia to stand, then the horrid Umbridge.

Immediately upon her standing, Umbridge called attention to herself, interrupting what the Headmaster had been announcing to all of the room. It was not only rude, but disrespectful and Snape found himself wanting to curse the woman for not showing the best wizard in the world a little of what he deserved.

She spoke loudly and clearly, always with a smile on her face, about how she was taking over the school with the permission of the Minister. Of course, she didn't say it in so many words, talking rather in confusing sentences mixed with baby-talk so that many of the students did not understand the meaning behind her speech.

Snape hated her. She was a vile person and though he knew he wasn't anyone to talk, he couldn't help but be thoroughly disgusted by the toad-like woman.

When she sat back in her chair, Severus was relieved, letting Dumbledore's words soothe over him. Of course, the Headmaster took everything in stride and simply smiled at the woman, his eyes twinkling. Albus Dumbledore knew everything that happened within the walls of Hogwarts and he certainly knew what was going on with Umbridge. He also was too kind to do anything yet. He always had a plan up his sleeve.

"What a foul woman," he heard from beside him.

Snape looked down, startled to find that Sophia Roe was glowering at the tablecloth.

"Excuse me?" he asked, startled by what he'd heard.

The new professor looked up and met his eyes, hers burning angrily. "Who does she think she is? Coming in here like that and trying to make Dumbledore look like a fool? Obviously the eyes of the Ministry, she keeps saying it!"

Snape raised his eyebrows, of course he agreed with her, but he was surprised that she had such strong feelings toward the woman. He'd only ever seen Sophia Roe smiling and happy, with the exception of her nerves when he'd last seen her outside the teacher's entrance to the Great Hall earlier that evening.

Then she sighed and shook her head, as if shaking out the negative thoughts, for the next moment her bright smile was planted back on her face as she looked out over the students.

"Other than that, I think I'm going to enjoy this school year," she said happily.

Severus did not reply, but started to pile food onto his plate. They did not say another word until dinner was over, though he could hear her speaking with Flitwick to her left. He was not too interested, though, they spoke of nothing of importance.

At the end of the feast, the students filed out of the Hall, prefects shouting over the noise to direct their first years where to go and how to navigate the school. Everyone would be getting their schedules the following morning, the first day of school.

Snape stood, finding that he wanted nothing more than to retire for the night and mentally prepare himself for the day ahead. First thing in the morning he would be dealing with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw third years and he wanted to be ready for the dimwits and know-it-alls together in the same room.

Ahead of him, Sophia Roe was sweeping out of the room, a laugh escaping her lips. He had a fleeting thought that she might be beautiful, but he quickly pushed it away before it could gain any real hold. No. She was just a silly woman who was much too naïve and simple. He could never be attracted to a woman who couldn't hold a decent conversation, just as he knew Hufflepuffs to be.

Snape swooped out of the Hall, knowing that this was the exact reason he was often referred to as the 'dungeon bat' by his students. He had no real care for this though. His billowing robes only added that much more to his intimidation factor while in person and that was all he cared about.

Before he could escape to his dungeon rooms, though, Dumbledore called him to a stop.

"If you could come with me, Severus, I need to discuss some very important matters with you in my office," the Headmaster said.

Snape could not refuse and upon receiving the password, he made his way up into the office of the only man he held any respect for.

Their meeting was only to discuss what Voldemort was doing now and what Snape should do should he be summoned. Now that the Dark Lord was back, Snape had to be ready now more than ever to prove his loyalty to that master. He must be ready to do anything he was asked and he must be prepared to keep everything he knew safe and secret.

He already knew this. Snape left the office feeling the weight of everything he had to do fall heavily on his shoulders. This was what he'd signed on for. This was what he deserved, for killing the only woman he had ever loved.

That night as he lay in bed, Snape had fleeting thoughts of Sophia. His idea that she might be beautiful played over in his head again. Her vision flashed before his eyes. Yes, she was very beautiful, he now considered. With bright blue eyes and blonde hair, a petite woman with a very nice face to look at. Not too many angles, but not too rounded either. The only marks on her face were those that portrayed how much she loved to smile and laugh, for surely she did that enough.

Yes, Snape thought to himself, she was beautiful. But that meant nothing. A woman with beauty and no brains was useless and Snape could do nothing a woman even if she had both anyway, so he really had no business to be thinking about her like that.

Severus Snape rolled over in his bed and tried to get some sleep, thinking that the next morning might be one of the worst yet.

Meanwhile, Sophie was getting ready for bed in her own rooms, a content look upon her face, a small smile lifting her cheeks. She was excited for the next day, ready to tackle this new challenge. She lay down under the blankets of her large bed and slowly closed her eyes, the image of Professor Snape coming to mind.

Oh, how he was intriguing! She knew what everyone thought of him and she knew he was not nice, but surely there was something under that rough exterior. There had to be a reason Dumbledore was so fond of him. There had to be something more than what they were seeing. Sophie just wondered what it was. She hoped that during this school year, maybe she would figure out just what was under there.

With a smile and a sense of determination, Sophie slowly drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Sophie woke to her alarm, bright and early. Ever the happy woman, it was no surprise that she was also a morning-person and happy to be awake that the early hour. She proceeded to her bathroom for a shower and to get ready for the day immediately upon waking, looking out her window and the sun that was just cresting over the treetops.

In the bathroom, Sophie found herself staring at her reflection. For a moment, she looked on it forlornly, but only just that moment. She found herself smiling happily a second later, turning away from the mirror to have a shower and dress in her freshly pressed robes.

Breakfast couldn't come soon enough for Sophie, who found herself excited to start the day and find out exactly what being a professor was all about. She wondered if she would be any good at it, but didn't have too much time to ponder it as she came into contact with Professor Sprout.

The older woman smiled happily at Sophie, also excited for the day to begin. Professor Sprout was head of Hufflepuff house and all too happy to have an apprentice as kind and smart as Sophia Roe. Sprout had heard all about Sophie's days as a student and was ready to see what this woman could do up close.

"Are you ready for your first day, Sophie?" Sprout questioned.

Sophie nodded brightly as she answered, "Oh yes. I'm so excited; I don't think I'll be able to sit still through breakfast."

Sprout laughed good-naturedly, "Seems you'll give Filius a run for his money this year."

"Yes, but I think he'll enjoy it," Sophie agreed. "I'm actually worried about poor Professor Snape; he surely won't think much of my child-like attitude, bouncing up and down next to him. I can't help it though!"

Pomona Sprout smiled as she considered this and replied, "Maybe you'll do him some good. Cheer up the cranky old man!"

Sophie smiled softly, "He's not that cranky. I just think he prefers to be left alone and doesn't enjoy it when people try and talk to him. He's much smarter than most of us. Perhaps he's bored with our lesser intelligence."

Professor Sprout didn't seem to know what to do with the young woman's words and shook them off after a moment of nearly awkward silence.

"Maybe, darling. He could be a little nicer, though. Not be scaring the rest of the school even if he is bored by us," Sprout said.

Sophie shrugged her shoulders, "Yes. He could be a little nicer."

The two women parted ways after agreeing that yes, Sophie would be there at seven o'clock sharp to get to work with Professor Sprout.

"Have a nice day, Sophie," Sprout called as they went to either sides of the Head Table.

Sophie smiled, "You too, Professor."

What neither woman knew was that throughout almost their entire conversation, Professor Snape had walked silently behind them, hearing every word they said. Had she really stuck up for him? Is that really what she thought of him?

He brushed off these thoughts, figuring it must've been a fluke. She would change her mind as the year wore on. She would realize that there was no kindness underneath, just layer after layer of a protective barrier that would never be undone. Snape knew he must remember that at all times because he felt that his barrier might just be compromised by this woman.

Severus gave a few minutes after the women entered the Great Hall before he followed them inside. They would never know that he had heard what was said.

The spot at the end of the table was waiting empty for him as he walked up, taking his seat beside Sophia Roe. She turned to smile and wish him good morning as soon as he sat down and Snape nodded in return, but did not reply.

The woman on his left was positively bouncing in her seat and Snape found that all decent thoughts about her were swiftly banished as she chattered excitedly to Flitwick. He could not stand how she nearly bumped into him every time she moved, constantly apologizing for something that she'd done and he hated how she was always smiling, laughing now and then.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Snape," Sophia said again as she turned to him and picked up a fallen glass of pumpkin juice and magicked away what had been spilled.

She turned her large blue eyes on him, soft with an apology and yet still so happy. "I can't seem to keep still this morning. I hope you know that I am not usually this hyper, I know I'd be unbearable!"

Snape nodded slowly, "I should hope you weren't. I would have to request to be moved if I thought that you would be ruining both my robes and my breakfast every morning."

Sophia flushed red in embarrassment as she ducked her head, "I'm so sorry, Professor."

"Apology noted, Ms. Roe," he replied evenly.

Sophie took that as a dismissal and turned back to Professor Flitwick, who was watching their exchange closely.

Snape rolled his eyes, of course the other professors would be watching out for her, especially around him. He knew he wasn't the nicest person in the castle by any means, but honestly, was the woman so incompetent that they must watch her every interaction with him? It would seem so.

A sigh escaped his lips as he looked down at the other Heads of House, each handing out the schedules to their students. This morning he would also be forced to take a trip down to his table as well. The Slytherins would need to know their classes in order to start gaining points for the House Cup, though he figured they wouldn't win this year with Potter in Gryffindor.

Snape rose from his chair and gathered the large pile of schedules he had to hand out. He really should have delegated this role to one of his prefects, he thought to himself as he glared down at the school coldly.

"Leaving, Professor?" a voice called.

Snape wished he could pretend he thought it was not directed at him, but he knew that he was the only one getting up from the table at that moment. He turned back to Sophia who was looking up at him expectantly.

"It would seem so, Ms. Roe," he replied.

She smiled widely at him as though he had not just insulted her and he wondered if she had even caught the slight.

"Well, have a good day," she said.

Snape stared at her for a long moment before nodding and turning on his heel, stalking down into the mess of students in the Great Hall.

Sophie watched him as he retreated, down into the mess of students eating, entering, and leaving the Great Hall. He stuck out in the crowd, students and teachers alike parting for his billowing black figure as he made his way toward the Slytherin table.

The young Hogwarts professor smiled softly and returned to her breakfast, finishing the last of what was on her plate before it disappeared.

After eating, Sophie hurried to get outside and have everything ready for her first lesson of the year. She was pretty much focusing on what Hagrid had laid out for her, though she'd been told she could make as many adjustments as she wanted, including changing the entire thing. She had decided that most of what the man had in his plans was acceptable and she knew that to stick to the lesson plan that the class would have to be taken outside, by Hagrid's hut.

It was chilly on this Monday morning and Sophie pulled her robes tighter around her, rubbing her arms for the heat of the friction. She knew that she could simply cast a heating charm, but figured that the day would warm up on its own and moving around would also help.

Down at the large hut that was the half-giant's home, Sophie got ready for class. Her first hour would be fourth year Gryffindor and Hufflepuffs. She hoped it would be an easy enough task to handle.

She could see them all tramping down the hill; hear their voices carry on the wind. It seemed like they wouldn't be too bad. Still, she felt the nerves building in her stomach again. Could she really do this? It didn't seem like that long ago, she was down there with the rest of them, hearing about all of the ways they would torment the new professor. Sophie sincerely hoped that this group was not as cruel as her year had been.

As they came to a stop before her, curious expressions on their faces, she pushed away the fear and plastered a warm smile across her face.

Lunch arrived in a blur. The day had gone fast, but none of the students had been awful as of yet. Her first hour had been fabulous, getting a feel for things as a professor as well as getting to know the students. They had all been pleasant and ready to help her without being mean about it.

Then she'd had third year Slytherin and Ravenclaws. Though the Slytherin group had seemed to be on the colder side, she hadn't had a problem with them. It seemed as though they'd enjoyed the lesson and didn't mind her if she didn't mind them. Sophie figured if every class was like those, then she should have no problems at all while she waited for the real professor to come back.

Sophie entered the Great Hall with a bright smile on her face, greeting a few of the students she'd had that day. The Head Table loomed ahead and she could see that Professor Snape was already there, glowering down at anything and everything he set eyes on. This only made her smile wider as she walked up to take her seat beside him.

"Good afternoon, Professor," Sophie greeted him.

His eyes slid over to her, uninterested and slightly cold, "Ms. Roe."

"How were your first classes?" she questioned.

Snape's face fell into a sneer as he remembered his first potion's class of the day. He did not reply.

Sophie grimaced as though he had, though, "That bad? What'd they do to warrant that face? Who'd you have?"

Snape sighed. This woman did not seem to understand that he did not want to speak to her.

"Ms. Roe what goes on in my classroom is my business. I would appreciate it if you kept your questions and comments to yourself," he snapped, glaring at the bubbly woman.

He could see the hurt that crossed her face at his words, but he told himself he didn't care. Who was she to be asking questions about his class? She had only begun teaching today! Surely she didn't think that much of herself already!

Sophia Roe looked away quickly and down at the table, "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I was only curious who you had so that I could be prepared for my own classes."

She was mumbling and Snape had enough of her, so he chose to ignore anything she'd said and focus on finishing his food. He watched as Flitwick entered the Great Hall and took his seat beside Sophia.

"Are you alright, dear?" the elf asked in his squeaky voice.

Snape glanced over in time to see her stick a smile on her face as she answered him.

"Oh yes, I'm fine," she replied.

The pair went on to talk about their first classes and the rest of the day and Snape listened intently. For some reason he was so very curious about her now.

"I had third year Slytherin and Ravenclaw for my second hour of the day," Sophia was telling the other professor.

"Oh? And how did that go?" the squeaky man asked. "Those Slytherins didn't give you any trouble did they?"

"Oh no," he heard Sophia answer. "They were wonderful. A bit cold, but that's to be expected, isn't it? I'm a new professor, after all. I figured I would've had a much harder time with it than I did."

"Very good," Flitwick stated.

"Yes, I think so," she said.

They were quiet again as they finished off lunch and Snape found that he was done with his own. Without warning, he stood from the table and swept out of the Great Hall.

Severus Snape made his way from the room and back down to the dungeons, into his office. As he sat at his desk, he considered everything he'd heard and everything he'd said. It didn't really matter, though. Even if he did feel bad, he wouldn't apologize. And why should he feel bad anyway? Hopefully his cold demeanor had shut her up once and for all and she would no longer talk to him during mealtimes.

The rest of lunch hour went by quickly and Snape found himself rising sooner than he'd like to in order to get ready for the next class. Now he would be having double potions with the Gryffindor and Slytherin sixth years. At least these students were ones that showed some potential and effort for the subject, though they hated each other almost to the extent that they would fail their classes.

Class wore on drearily. Snape had set them to work on one of the more difficult potions in the book just to see how they would do and if they'd done any reading over the summer as he'd requested with their Outstanding O.. Of course, most of them were failing horribly. He'd had to correct one girl so many times he wondered how she'd ever made it into this class.

"Ms. Tanner, I suggest you do not add horned slug to that potion unless you wish to blow this class to pieces," he called calmly from the other side of the room.

The girl was utterly hopeless, he thought as she put down the horned slug and reread the instructions.

When class had finally ended, Snape knew that the first week was only a peek at what was to come. Right now, the students were still trying to learn. Later in the year, he knew they would become sloppy and incompetent.

He sighed as he locked up the classroom and entered his office. What an awful day it had been and he only had more to look forward to.

Sophie was also finishing up her last class with the seventh year Gryffindors. They were slowly making the trek up to the school as she made sure everything was where it was supposed to be, gathering her own things to take back up to the castle. She only had a few hours until she had to meet with Professor Sprout and she wanted to get cleaned up a little, as well as eat dinner, before then.

Slowly, she hiked up the large hill toward the large castle that was Hogwarts. She was still stunned by its beauty, just as she had been when she was a child. Nothing was better than the sight of Hogwarts. No place on earth felt safer than the castle with Dumbledore as Headmaster, always guarding and protecting all who entered.

She took the stairs slowly, feeling slightly out of breath from her long walk. Perhaps she needed to start working out more, she thought to herself.

Sophie entered the school in the Entrance Hall, beaming at the grandness of it all. The portraits on the walls, the large moving stair cases, and the enormous doors to the Great Hall standing before her, displaying some of Hogwart's finest architecture. She loved this place more than she could ever admit to. She had grown up here and it was a part of her life. She was glad to be back and working at such a place.

Quickly, the young woman decided that a stop at her rooms was absolutely necessary before she did anything else. Sophie knew there was no real point in taking a shower before going out to the gardens with Professor Sprout, but she also wanted to look decent for dinner and so she decided the wash her face and Scrougify her clothes before going showing herself to the rest of the school like she was.

Inside her rooms, she dumped her bag on the floor near a chair and cast a longing glance toward her bed. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and just close off from the rest of the world, but she knew that just wasn't possible. Instead, she made her way into the bathroom and let the water run as she cast the cleaning spell and looked at her face in the mirror.

With a soft sigh, she washed up and turned off the water. Sophie made her way out of the room then, finding that it was just about time for dinner and then to meet with Sprout.

By the time she made it to the Great Hall, the room was crowded with students and filled with their loud chatter. Sophie was suddenly immensely grateful that professors had their own entrance because she didn't think she would have enjoyed navigating the packed room.

With a large smile, Sophie took her seat next to Professor Snape. He seemed to be in the same foul mood he was in earlier, but then again, it seemed he was never in a good mood.

"Good evening, Professor Snape," Sophie greeted him, just as she had at every other meal of the day.

The professor sighed as he replied, "Ms. Roe."

"And how was the rest of your day? Any better than the beginning?" she questioned, hoping that it would not set him off as it had earlier.

But Snape seemed to be in a slightly more tolerant mood than before as he answered, "No."

Sophie nodded sympathetically, "I'm sorry."

"I expected nothing less," Snape said.

Sophie was surprised she had gotten so much out of him, though he hadn't said that many words, this was the most civil conversation they'd ever shared.

"Oh. Is Potion's class really that difficult to understand?" she wondered.

Snape looked at her coolly, "The art of Potion making is one of the most complex of all forms of magic. It takes not only a great deal of skill, but also that of concentration and dedication, that of which most of the students going through my class do not obtain."

"When you put it that way, it does seem rather difficult," Sophie replied.

Again, Snape found himself curious. How had she been at Potions at school? How would she be now? He was stuck with a dilemma. He could ask her and possibly set her off talking and open the door for future conversation, or he could simply let himself sit in silence and wonder about what could be the answer. Both ideas were tempting in their own respects.

Finally, he found that he'd rather just satisfy his curiosity and deal with the consequences later.

"And just how were you at Potions, Ms. Roe?" Snape heard himself asking.

Sophia looked up at him with a look of surprise in her eyes. Obviously she hadn't expected him to attempt any form of conversation with her. Suddenly she broke out into a wide grin, stretching her cheeks.

"Oh, I like to think I did pretty good," she answered evasively, hoping to keep him talking to her.

Snape raised an eyebrow at her, "And what exactly is 'pretty good' Ms. Roe? Do not fool yourself, I cannot simply read your mind whenever I wish like so many of the students seem to think."

Of course, he really could read her mind, but she didn't need to know something like that. He didn't feel like digging into her mind for that information. If he'd wanted to do that, he would've done it in the first place.

Sophia was smiling at him brightly, "I never fell below Outstanding in all of my years at Hogwarts."

Snape felt like rolling his eyes. That was why she thought she was so good? That was nothing. Especially with a man like Slughorn, who was easy to give out good grades to those he favored, as her professor.

"I started some independent research at the Ministry upon leaving school, but I didn't like how restricting it was and quickly left that. I'd rather do my research privately where there is nobody breathing down my neck and trying to steal my ideas," she continued. "Then again, I do really miss having a partner to confer with about some of my theories. Some of them have proven to be horribly wrong just by a few judgments on my part and perhaps another pair of eyes would have caught it."

Severus figured that she could not do the work at the Ministry and perhaps she was telling the slightest lie to better herself in his eyes.

"What type of work did you do at the Ministry?" he inquired, forgetting that he was not supposed to want more information than was absolutely necessary to quench his curiosity.

He watched as Sophia thought on it, her eyes rolling up as if trying to see into her head for the answers, "We were working on a better invisibility potion, one that wouldn't wear off at random intervals, but I quit before we finished."

Snape had heard of that project, quite a few years ago. They'd questioned him on it more than once to see if he would offer his assistance. He had not. Not too long after the last time they'd questioned him about joining their team did they give up altogether on the potion.

"So now you work privately?" he questioned.

Sophia shook her head, "Oh, no. I couldn't practice potions now. I haven't got a license for half the things I wish to and I don't have the time for half the thing I could peruse."

Snape certainly knew what that was like, though he now had both the licenses and a place to practice unlicensed potions without being bothered. He also seemed to have nearly all the time in the world to work on them, so long as he kept up with both of his master's orders.

"Anything else?" Sophia asked, looking up at him expectantly.

All of the things he could ask her about crossed his mind as he marveled on how she didn't seem bothered at all by him. She was the first person he could remember who's first expression upon seeing him was not disgust, and no, Dumbledore did not count.

"No," Severus replied. "That would be all."

The woman nodded with a smile and went back to her dinner, the grin never leaving her face.

Sophie was glad to have spoken with Snape for as long as she had, but she was also surprised at his willingness to ask questions and listen to her answers. He had never before showed any interest in hearing anything she had to say and suddenly he was inquiring about her potion's making abilities.

She supposed that maybe he didn't mind this discussion all that much was because it was about his profession. He couldn't mind talking about his chosen life. Of course, everyone knew that he really wanted the spot as Defense Professor, but they could also tell that Potions was his passion.

They did not speak for the remainder of the meal. Afterwards, Sophie found herself back outside, wandering down into the Greenhouses to meet with Professor Sprout. The way was quiet and the sun had gone down so darkness had settled over the grounds.

Pulling her robes closer to herself, Sophie lit her wand to be able to discern her path.

Professor Sprout was waiting for her, getting the baby mandrake roots ready for the first year class that would be coming through here. The older woman smiled brightly and adjusted the pots before giving her full attention to her apprentice.

"Professor Roe, right on time," she greeted.

Sophie smiled, waiting for instruction and ready to do whatever was asked of her.

"Well, we might as well start with going over the basics, refresh your memory and such," Sprout announced, looking around the room. "Just go ahead and label the plants over there, dear. If you need any help, don't be afraid to ask."

Sophie nodded and set right to work, realizing already that this task would only be all too easy. The section she had been assigned was done quickly and she found herself looking to the older woman for more work to do. Surely she was not done yet.

Pomona Sprout looked up in surprise when she heard that her young apprentice as finished so soon and sure enough, every potted plant had been labeled neatly and correctly. Her eyebrows shot up, impressed that one who had not seen plants since their days at school could do so well.

What she didn't know was that most of these things were used in potions and Sophie had kept up on those upon leaving Hogwarts. Naming these plants were no problem for her and as she labeled them neatly and efficiently, she went over all of the properties they could produce upon placing them in a cauldron.

"What do you want me to do now?" Sophie questioned.

Sprout did not seem to know what to say, she was still stunned that the woman before her had done it all so quickly. Sophia Roe did not seem like the smartest witch upon first glance. Maybe this was just what the girl liked to do, but Pomona thought differently. Perhaps she had misjudged this young lady when she had taken her on as an apprentice. Maybe she would be of more use than she originally thought.

"Would you like to do some physical work, then?" she asked.

Sophie nodded eagerly.

Professor Sprout could not help but smile at her readiness to help. "Well I can't have you going out to collect anything tonight, it's too late for that now and I'd like to be with you the first few times we do that, but you can help me over here. I have this particularly nasty root that's grown well over its pot and perhaps with the both of us, we can cut it back."

The two women started over to the plants, set on their task. Sophie was more than excited about the professor's claim that she would be able to go out and collect plants soon. She wanted nothing more than to do something useful and thought nothing would be better than going out under the moonlight to gather some of the rare things that the professor would need.

It was late when they finally finished and made their way back up to the castle. Sprout was impressed that the woman held up as well as she did. By the looks of her, Sophia Roe could not handle the slightest of heavy lifting or getting dirty, but it seemed quite the opposite after that night. It now looked like she was quite lucky to have a woman like Sophie working beside her. She would have to remember to thank Dumbledore for offering her this assistant.

Sophie was thinking more about what she would get to do the next night. The two women decided that they would meet every weeknight unless otherwise specified. Sprout had promised that they would go into the Forbidden Forest tomorrow and Sophie couldn't wait. She had never been inside the walls of its dark trees. While in Hogwarts it had been against the rules and she was too good to be breaking them and she'd never had detention. Now that she was a professor it still wasn't the safest of places to go, but she was allowed, she just never had the chance to until now.

At the Great Hall, the professors parted ways and Sophie wandered up to her bedroom coming across Mrs. Norris on the way. The cat meowed at her, but she simply smiled softly and continued passed it without a word. Her room was warm and waiting when she entered it. At some point the house-elves must have been in to light the fire because it was just beginning to die down as she took of her outer robes.

It was late, but Sophie knew she would regret it if she didn't have a shower before bed, so she wearily got ready. Another half hour later, she was lying in her large bed, thinking over the day in her head.

Classes had not gone nearly as bad as she had expected and she'd even gotten to talk to Professor Snape. She also couldn't wait until the next night when they would go into the Forbidden Forest to look for plants. Over all, the day had actually been rather rewarding.

Sophie smiled and closed her eyes, the picture of Snape immediately coming to mind. She was so curious about him and she so wanted to help him, she hoped they would talk more tomorrow.

Instead of spending the rest of the night waiting restlessly for the morning to begin, Sophie rolled over in bed, a smile on her face, and drifted into an easy sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Snape and Sophie did not talk the next day. At breakfast, Sophie was the same chipper person she always was, though admittedly calmer than the morning before. She had greeted him with a smile and 'Good morning Professor Snape!' but he hadn't replied. Sophie started her first class wondering what she could do to have him talk to her again. She was not discouraged.

Still, she did not get him to talk to her and she left dinner that night thinking that maybe yesterday was too much conversation for him. Perhaps he was distancing himself. She didn't know how right she was.

Severus had seen the young professor nearly skip up to the Head Table, taking her seat next to him. The night before, he had scolded himself for talking to her so much at dinner. Surely she would take it as permission to speak to him whenever she pleased. He did not want that.

He had decided he would not talk to her at all today. Or any day for that matter. Though she was strangely curious to him, he knew he could not afford to like her any. No one liked Severus Snape so he might as well back off now. Besides, he didn't like people. As soon as his curiosity was satisfied he would be bored with her and so be might as well keep his distance and find the answers to his questions by listening closely when she was around.

Sure enough, as soon as Sophia Roe sat beside him, she looked up with a cheery face and greeted him loudly. He had not responded. She hardly looked upset about it though. Rather, she continued to smile at him and went back to her breakfast, greeting Flitwick in the same manner when he approached.

The day was awful at best. It was Tuesday and Snape had seventh year Ravenclaw and Slytherin first, a free period, then a double period with the fifth year Gryffindor and Slytherin class. He'd had to face his least favorite class of them all. With both Gryffindor and Slytherin in the same room it was bad enough, but then his least favorite students were all together too.

Harry Potter, with eyes like his mother and the rest of his horrid father; Hermione Granger, the know-it-all bookworm; Longbottom, who was so terrified of him that he couldn't do his own work; and then there were his own Slytherins who he could hardly tolerate. Snape did like Draco Malfoy, though. Well, not really like, but he had known the boy since he was a child and he knew what it was like for their family. He understood what the boy was going through, felt bad for his mother who only really wanted to protect her son. That was why he could tolerate the young boy.

Of course, double potions with Gryffindor and Slytherin wasn't he end of his day, he had to deal with the second year brats from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff immediately after. And at lunch, Sophia had greeted him again, just as happy as at breakfast. He wondered if she ever stopped smiling as he glared irritably at the table, filling his plate with food.

Then again at dinner, Snape had arrived after her. She looked up with a large grin as he sat beside her in his usually chair. He did not feel like he should respond to her yet again. It didn't seem to bother her, though as she went on as if he'd greeted her back.

Severus listened intently as she spoke with Flitwick. Sophia was very excited to be meeting with Professor Sprout this evening, it seemed. She spoke of how much she enjoyed working the day before and how her late classes had been today. Then she sat and paid attention to everything the small professor said to her, replying honestly when he asked her opinion or when he paused.

Snape wondered how she could be such a happy woman all the time. He wondered how he could sit next to him and try to strike up conversation and have it seem like it was more than just the common courtesies of a colleague. How had she captivated him so fully when he had only known her for a little over a week?

Because that was what he was, though he hardly wanted to admit it to himself. Yes, he was captivated by the little witch. Maybe it was just his natural curiosity about her that had him hooked. Or maybe it was the fact that she was a very beautiful young woman and the first to look at him without an expression of disgust since he didn't know when.

Snape didn't know what drew him to her, but he did know that he didn't like it. What had she done to him? He wanted to know so much about her, much more than he'd ever wanted to know about anyone, and he wanted to listen to her talk, to hear her opinions, to have her listen to his. He knew he was getting attached and that wasn't safe. He just couldn't have it.

Looking down over the Great Hall and all of the children laughing and talking, Snape's gaze landed on the one he hated the most. Now fifteen, Potter was looking more like his father than ever before. Messy hair, tall and lanky, friends flanking him on either side, he was the exact image of James before him. And from this far back, his eyes were nonexistent.

Sophia's voice rang in his ears as he continued to glower at 'the Chosen One'. There was one person who he had felt emotions just as strong about. Her eyes forever imprinted in the child she had left for him to protect with his lift. Snape remembered Lily and all of the things he had felt, and still did feel, for the dead woman. The sorrow that gripped him upon these thoughts were almost too much for him to bear, but he was used to pushing away his feelings by now and so they show on his face or in his own unexpressive eyes.

"Isn't that right, Professor Snape?" a voice asked.

Severus' cold eyes glided easily over to the woman beside him. Sophia.

"What was that?" he questioned in a sneer.

She did not back off or flinch away from him, but rather stared up into his eyes with an unwavering amount of kindness.

"I was just telling Professor Flitwick here that the Slytherin bunch is really not that bad," she said. "I think that they just have a bad rep because of what a few of them do. And maybe favoritism is shown to the other houses so that Slytherins just don't get as much praise."

Snape raised his eyebrows at Sophia's observation. Yes, she had to have been in Hufflepuff. No other house would think such things about a Slytherin. Gryffindor was too biased and Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw would be smarter than that. Or they would think they were smarter than that because in all reality what the woman was saying was very nearly spot on. But that was a well kept house secret and Snape would not tell her how right she was.

"Perhaps," Snape replied distantly, returning to his food without waiting for her to say anything back.

He did not want to speak to her anymore. That was enough for one day.

Out of the corner of his eye, Snape saw Sophia smile and return to her talk with the other professor and he heard her pronounce loudly that he hadn't said she was wrong. It bothered him slightly to her this, but he didn't say a word either way, instead standing suddenly and sweeping out of the Hall. His food disappeared behind him.

Sophie startled as the Potion's Master abruptly left the Hall. Her startled eyes followed him until all that was left were his billowing black robes. She wondered if she should have kept her thoughts to herself, but then figured that she could do nothing about it now.

Dinner finished not long after that and Sophie bid farewell to Filius Flitwick as she made her way down toward the Greenhouses once more. She was so excited to be going into the Forbidden Forest that she practically skipped to her meeting with Professor Sprout.

The older woman was waiting for her in the dimly lit house and they said a quick hello before the professor went on to explain exactly what they were doing.

"You're quite certain you're ready to go into the Forest?" Sprout questioned.

Sophie nodded wildly with a sloppy smile on her face.

"You know that it is forbidden for a reason, Sophie," the older woman cautioned. "This is not to be taken lightly. I do not know all of the dangers that lurk in the shadows of the trees."

These words sobered the young witch slightly, but not enough to rid her of the tantalizing lure of the going out there.

"Yes, ma'am," Sophie replied calmly, the smile fading into a determined look, though the light never truly faded.

Sprout could not help but notice this and she found herself grinning as well. Where they were going there wasn't supposed to be much chance of harm anyway, why not let the girl have some fun?

"Right then," she said. "We're going to be looking for the Abyssinian Shrivelfig; do you know what that is?"

Sophie nodded.

"Good. Then we're ready to go," Sprout stated. "You have your wand out?"

Sophie dug in her pockets and retrieved her wand, holding it loosely in her right hand.

"That may be very important to you in the coming future, keep it ready at all times," the professor commanded.

With that, they set off for the woods, intent on their goal.

The Forbidden Forest was dank and dark when they entered it that night, but that did not bother Sophie as she bounded over logs and bushes, her wand lighting the way. Pomona Sprout followed at a more leisurely pace, keeping an eye out for any of the shrinking plant for her third years.

Sophie eventually slowed once they were deep enough into the forest that they couldn't see the edges anymore. She kept her eyes wide open, glued to the forest floor. She was so focused, in fact, that she did not see the being that was waiting for her on the other side of the trees.

Professor Sprout was also preoccupied and though she knew the dangers of the forest all too well, she let her guard down in order to look more thoroughly. Both women had made a grave mistake.

Out of the darkness bounded a large creature, standing at least five feet tall, with legs coming out of all ends. It appeared so suddenly that neither of the women had time to do anything before it had overcome Sophie, running her over.

Sophie's wand had flown from her hand, and in the chaos she screamed, thrashing against the beast. The only thing going through her mind was that she didn't want to die here and now and that if only she could get to her wand, she could defend herself. For a fleeting moment, she berated herself for taking Professor Sprout's cautions so lightly, but that didn't last long. The darkness only aided the beast and helped to work against her and she struggled wildly without her sight.

Sprout was fumbling with her wand, unsure whether she should cast a spell into their midst or not. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she considered the possibilities of hitting Sophie with a nasty curse. But then, it seemed there were no other options. The girl's screams were getting louder and it sounded as if she were in pain.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Sprout shouted.

The beast shivered, but did not stop what it was doing.

Sophie heard the spell cast, but didn't have time to think much about it. It didn't stop the monster that was on top of her. The beast was above her, its legs all around her. It felt like it was stabbing her, over and over again and it was getting hard to fight back. She didn't have any strength left. Whatever it had done to her had caused her to weaken and she could no longer keep her eyes open. Her heart thudded quickly against her chest, but she couldn't feel it as she slowly blacked out.

Sprout was no longer thinking clearly and she cast again, "Impedimenta!"

This worked better than the last spell.

With a squeal, the monster was thrown from the young witch and Pomona cast another curse, hoping to keep the monster at bay. But it was limping away now and she lit her wand again to find that running away was an Acromantula. The herbology professor's eyes widened in shock that such a beast had come so far away from its territory, but she didn't have time to think on that while it was running away. More pressing matters lay with the girl lying limp on the forest floor.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Sprout said, raising the young witch from the ground.

Quickly, she made her way out of the forest, nearly running toward the castle. As fast as she could without losing focus on her charm, Pomona made her way across the grounds and up the stairs of the castle. By this time all of the children were in bed and the professors were headed there as well if they weren't making their rounds.

The woman started to shout as she started towards the hospital wing.

"Help!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the empty halls. "Help!"

It wasn't long until she ran into someone.

It just so happened that Professor Snape was up, making sure that all of his Slytherin brats were safe in bed. He didn't need anyone getting points knocked off their house just because they were being foolish. He had heard the screams of a woman and came rushing through the halls, his eyes landing on his colleague.

Her eyes landed on him and immediately she came rushing to him, the body of Sophie still dangling before her in the air.

"Professor Snape!" she cried. "You must help!"

Snape took in the scene before him, his eyes coming to rest on Sophia Roe, her skin an unhealthy shade of white. Her eyes were closed and he could see blood near the bottom of her robes, all the way up into her stomach and head. His stomach dropped. She couldn't be dead.

His eyes swept up to the pleading woman and he saw that she seemed to be unscathed, but running out of strength. He swept Sophia out of the air before he could think about what he was doing.

"She needs to be taken to the hospital wing," Sprout panted.

Snape barely nodded as he hurried up the stairs, the weight of the young woman in his arms.

"What happened to her?" he questioned quickly.

"We were in the Forbidden Forest," Pomona started.

Snape growled at that. Of course that's where they were. The worst of beasts lingered in the depths of that place.

"It came out of nowhere," she blubbered, sobs starting to wrack her body.

Severus had no time for her whining and he spun around to glare at the woman who was obviously hysterical.

"You must tell me what attacked her," he ordered in his most demanding voice, one that he normally reserved for the first class for first years or people he truly detested.

Sprout immediately quieted and she hiccupped once as she stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Quickly, woman! We may not have much time!" Snape spat.

"Acromantula," she breathed so that Snape barely caught it.

But he had and he knew that he had less time than he'd thought. He didn't reply as he continued down the hall at a much more frenzied pace.

They burst through the doors of the hospital with a bang and Poppy Pomfrey rushed out of her rooms in her nightclothes looking quite angry at whoever was intruding. At least until she saw the battered and bloodied woman draped in Snape's arms.

"Over here," she directed without question.

Snape didn't hesitate to place Sophia on the bed.

"What happened?" the mediwitch questioned distractedly as she ran her wand over the girl in the bed.

"Acromantula," Severus said quickly.

There was a quick intake of breath from the woman before she rushed from the bedside toward one of her cabinets at the back of the room. She returned with a pile of potions bottles stacked in her arms, laying them haphazardly on a table at the end of the bed.

"We have a few hours yet before the venom fully takes her," Madam Pomfrey stated, her voice more relaxed, yet still strained as she poured a few of the potions down Sophia's throat. "Severus, do you think you could make a batch of anti-venom? You know the one…"

Snape did know and he nodded quickly as he left without a word.

Pomona Sprout stood a few feet away, looking on with wide eyes and a pale face.

"Pomona, are you alright?" Pomfrey asked.

Only then did the professor check herself over and she replied, "Yes. Yes, I'm not hurt."

"If you could go get Dumbledore then, I'll see to you when we have Ms. Roe stable over here," the mediwitch stated.

She was not looking so she didn't see how the professor shivered upon mentioning Sophie's stabilization. Still, Professor Sprout quickly left the room to head to the headmaster's office

Snape had rushed out of the room, his cloak billowing behind him. All that he could was Sophia's limp body and her too pale face. He could feel her dead weight still lying heavily in his arms and he ran just that much faster to his office. There, he immediately set up his cauldron and retrieved the necessary ingredients. He did not need instructions to make this potion.

As he got to work, he forced the images from his mind, taking on that cool persona he got when he was brewing. There was no room for mistakes here. If he did not get this perfect, it could mean her life.

It took an hour until it was completely finished and Snape was able to bottle it. He cast a simple saving charm on his potion and rushed out of the room without putting away his wares. There was no time for that.

Up the stairs, through the hallways, Snape did not stop once as he burst back into the hospital wing. The sense of urgency had lessened since he'd last been there, but the air was still heavy as he entered. A sigh of relief escaped Pomfrey as she took the vial from him and made her way back over to the girl.

She hadn't moved from the spot he'd laid her in an hour ago, not that he'd expected her to. She had gained a little of her color back, but she was still too pale for a living person.

"What have you given her?" Snape questioned.

"Some blood-replenishing potion," the mediwitch replied. "I've cleaned and started to close her wounds, but she'll need them open for this to work."

Snape nodded and watched closely as she poured the potion into each of the slashes on Sophia's legs and stomach.

"She knows what she's doing, Severus. Our Magical Creatures substitute will be fine," Dumbledore's voice called.

Slowly, Snape turned to find Albus Dumbledore was standing between two of the beds. He looked as if he'd just turned around from looking out of the window and his eyes twinkled as he looked down on the man he felt was nearly his son.

Snape nodded and walked stiffly over to where the headmaster was standing.

"It is very fortunate you found them, Severus," Dumbledore stated calmly. "I'm not sure what kind of position we would be in now if you were not on hand to both help them up here and to make that potion."

Now that Sophia seemed stable, Snape could relax. He glanced around the room to see Professor Sprout was fast asleep on one of the beds.

"Poppy gave her a Dreamless Sleep potion so to calm her down," Dumbledore said as he followed the potion master's eyes.

"How did they get close enough to Acromantula territory for one to attack them?" Snape asked.

He knew that she liked to go into the woods to collect plants that she couldn't grow, and he'd done it numerous times, but he knew better than to go near their lair. He'd thought she knew that too.

Dumbledore sighed, "She explained to me before she went to sleep. Apparently they were no more than twenty yards out of sight of the edge. It came out of nowhere, attacking Sophie and leaving Pomona to fumble with her wand. She was afraid of hitting Sophie, but she had to fight back. She had to hit it with an impediment curse before it would leave."

Snape sighed and bent his head, his hair falling into his face as he considered this. Already, the giant spiders were going out of their boundaries. When Hagrid was around, at least they knew their place, but they all knew that wouldn't last long. Acromantulas were dark by nature and the only reason these were halfway well behaved was because Hagrid happened to be friendly with their king. There was no telling what they would do when the two of them were no longer around.

Dumbledore copied Snape's actions, also sighing deeply before he spoke, "But there is nothing we can do for tonight, Severus. We may as well get some sleep. Sophie will not be awake for a while and you look as if you could use the rest."

"I would like to remain here tonight, if that is alright Headmaster," Snape replied. "Just to make sure that the potion is working correctly."

Dumbledore eyed the younger man knowingly as he nodded, "Of course, Severus. As long as it is alright with Poppy, I see no problem with that."

The old wizard left the wing quietly as Snape went to the mediwitch with his request, though he didn't particularly enjoy asking for permission.

"Of course, Severus," Madam Pomfrey said. "If you don't mind me going to sleep, then. I would be available to you any time you needed me."

Snape tipped his head in a curt nod.

Poppy smiled tiredly at him as she thanked him as if he was doing her a favor and went off to bed.

Severus took a seat beside Sophia's bed and stared into her face for a long time. Her status was unchanging and finally he laid his head back against the seat, finding himself face to face with sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Pain. Everywhere. It was the only thing she could think of upon awakening.

"Uunh," Sophie groaned, opening her eyes to find them blinded by a bright white light.

Immediately, the snapped shut again, hiding away from that which was hurting her.

"Oh! You're awake!" a voice said, too loud for Sophie's ears.

She cringed back from the intruding noise, learning then that there was also a deep stabbing pain in her stomach. She groaned again as her muscles crinkled and then fought for stillness.

"Stop fussing, you'll hurt yourself!" the voice scolded.

Sophie had already figured this out, but she did not protest as she came to find herself completely still once more. She attempted to open her eyes again and this time she was able to squint against the light that still burned her. Slowly, she opened them farther until she saw Madam Pomfrey come into view, working diligently above her.

"What happened?" Sophie rasped, but her words didn't come out quite the way she'd planned them too.

It seemed Madam Pomfrey knew what she was trying to say, though.

"Don't talk, dear, you need all of your strength to get better," she ordered. "You were attacked in the Forbidden Forest while collecting plants for the second years. Don't you remember a thing?"

Slowly, the images came back to her. The large spider over her body, the immense pain as it stabbed her over and over again. She could remember the darkness and her wand flying from her grasp. Professor Sprout's voice as it shouted spells was the last thing she could recall.

"Yes," she whispered, hoping that this would be better. "Yes, I remember."

Sophie wondered how they had survived when it had been so hopeless at the time. A crushing thought came over her then. How was Professor Sprout?

Her heart beat picked up as she looked up at the mediwitch frantically, "Professor Sprout!"

"Is fine, dear. You need to calm yourself before I have to give you a potion to put you back to sleep!" Pomfrey commanded.

Sophie relaxed against the bed upon hearing that her mentor was okay. Though she had just woken up, she felt as if she had only been asleep for a few hours. She was exhausted, but she didn't want to fall back asleep just yet.

"What happened?" she questioned again.

As Madam Pomfrey continued to work, she replied in her no-nonsense voice, "After Pomona cast the Impedimenta curse, the Acromantula ran away and she was able to levitate you back to the castle."

She paused to breathe and Sophie instantly interrupted.

"Acromantula?" she asked, her eyes wide.

The mediwitch's eyes landed on her as she freaked out again.

"Yes, Ms. Roe. Can you calm down on your own or do I need to get you the potion? You will never heal properly if you continue to get worked up," Madam Pomfrey stated.

Sophie attempted to relax, wanting to hear the rest of the story.

"Yes, an Acromantula," the older woman repeated when Sophie calmed sufficiently. "And Professor Sprout levitated you back to the castle. You were in critical condition and Pomona was in a right state after all that had happened. She called for help as she started to come here. It was lucky Professor Snape was around at the time."

"Professor Snape?" Sophie asked. This time she knew to simply ask the question without too much emotion.

Madam Pomfrey did not comment as she answered, "Professor Snape. He carried you here and called for my assistance. As I attended to your immediate wounds, he proceeded to brew an anti-venom potion which you have been taking once a day since. He stayed the first night to make sure you were stable and has been back twice since."

Sophie was shocked, "How long have I been sleeping?"

"Three days, dear," the mediwitch replied.

Sophie laid her head against the pillows, three days. No wonder she felt so awful, she hadn't been able to move in far too long.

"Drink this," Madam Pomfrey said.

The younger girl did as ordered and winced at the awful taste, but drank it all without a word and Madam Pomfrey nodded in approval.

"If you need me, call," the older woman told her.

Sophie nodded and Poppy Pomfrey bustled away from her bed. She was instantly exhausted and wished for nothing more than to sleep. She figured it was the potion she'd just drank and ignored the heavy feeling in her eyes, knowing that it would take her when it wanted to.

Instead of directly falling asleep, she thought about Snape. He had saved her. And she was sure that she'd heard right when the mediwitch said he'd been back twice. Sophie silently celebrated in her head at the thought. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.

Snape had been more anxious than usual lately. All of the students could feel it as he piled on the homework and essays to each class he taught. He handed out more detentions and took more points than usual, but he hardly noticed. Each one of his thoughts was directed at the girl lying in the hospital wing, having yet to wake up.

Of course she had to go and have something like this happen to her. When he was trying to get rid of her and ignore all feelings he may have had for her, she had to be attacked. And now that his potion was involved, he felt he had a reason to check in on her.

If only he hadn't been the one to find them. If only they hadn't needed his assistance and he could have slipped off into the background. If only he could dismiss the way his heart clenched when he pictured her lifeless on the hospital bed. The 'if onlys' were killing him.

But that was not the way things were and Severus Snape knew he could waste away pondering on the 'what ifs' of life. So, instead of thinking on them any longer, he stored them at the back of his mind, along with all of the dusty old thoughts he'd forbidden himself to think about while functioning in normal life. These were not the thoughts to think while talking with the headmaster or when he was assigning potions essays.

Snape had been to see her twice since the night he'd watched over her. It had only been three days after it. Each time he entered the hospital wing, he wondered what he would find. He always found his hopes were crushed to learn she still hadn't moved or opened her eyes. He was also relieved that she hadn't died in the time he'd been away.

He knew that he shouldn't, but he couldn't wait until that night after dinner when he could sneak up to the hospital wing and check on her. Severus just wanted to make sure she was okay and then he would be fine. He told himself that he only wanted to make sure that his potion was working correctly, but that was an obviously lie in his eyes. He wanted to see her, Sophia.

At the moment, Snape observed his classroom. It was deathly silent, not one person daring to say a word. That day, he'd assigned a six inch essay due at the end of class and all of his fourth years were working diligently to finish in the time they had left. He had no sympathy for them as they scribbled away.

His eyes swept over them, feeling the mark on his forearm grow just a little bit more painful. It was not calling him, just reminding them all that the Dark Lord was there and could summon them at any time. Severus knew this fact only all too well.

The clock on the wall behind him ticked steadily and Snape could feel the end of class coming closer. He stood to pace around the room, checking over each and every one of the student's shoulders. Some of them cowered away, others stilled, and still others ignored him completely as they worked feverishly until the bell. There was a collective sigh of relief when it finally rang.

Before leaving, each fourteen year old proceeded to his desk, dumping their essays in a pile and scurrying out. Snape rubbed his arm as the last one hurried through the door.

When Sophie next awakened it was to a much darker setting. She could hear movement off to her left and turned her head to see Madam Pomfrey working with a student a few beds down. The mediwitch was scolding the child for something and Sophie found herself smiling fondly as she had just been subject to the same thing a few hours before.

Madam Pomfrey turned back around, her eyes landed on the young woman.

"Awake already, I see," she said as a way of greeting.

"What time-?" Sophie started to ask, but her throat was much too scratchy.

Madam Pomfrey handed her a glass, ordering her to drink it and Sophie did so without question, gulping down the water.

"Now you may speak," the mediwitch stated.

Sophie cleared her throat and tried again, "What time is it?"

"Nearly five in the evening, dear," Pomfrey replied. "If he keeps to his schedule, Professor Snape should be in to check on your progress soon."

Outwardly, she only nodded, but on the inside Sophie was smiling stupidly like a lovesick teenager. She could not deny the idea of seeing Snape made her happy. Not only did she want to thank him for all he'd done for her, but she found that she really enjoyed being in his company. There was something about him that she simply felt comfortable around in a way that she never had before. She wondered if he felt the same about her.

To pass the time, Sophie turned to the child a few beds down. She recognized him as a first year from Hufflepuff. Miles Johnson was his name, she recalled.

"How did you wind up here, Miles?" Sophie questioned, raising her voice a little so that he could hear her.

The young boy turned his head and she could see the scratches running down his face as he replied sullenly, "I had a little trouble with flying."

Sophie fought not to smile at the poor boy's answer. She did not want to seem like she was laughing at him.

"What did you do to get in here, Professor Roe? Why haven't you been in class?" Miles asked her in return.

Sophie still found it odd to be addressed as 'Professor Roe' and she reflected on it for a moment before thinking about the question asked of her. She obviously couldn't tell him the truth.

"I had an accident in the Forbidden Forest," she replied with half of what had happened. "I was out with Professor Sprout to collect some plants for the class and somehow I ended up like this!"

The Hufflepuff boy's eyes widened, "Really?"

Sophie nodded.

"Was it scary?" he asked her.

For a moment, she thought about the terrifying fear that had gripped her while being attacked and she remembered wondering if she was going to die, but she knew she could not tell suck a young child something like that.

"Yes," she finally replied. "But it's not so bad now."

"Whoa," he said softly, his eyes filled with awe.

Sophie could not help but smile.

"Professor Roe, I'm going to need you to drink this," Madam Pomfrey stated, walking back into the room.

Sophie took the offered cup and poured the liquid down her throat, enduring the awful taste with little more than a wince.

"And you too, Mr. Johnson," the mediwitch ordered.

Both of the older witches could see his apprehensive glance at the glass as he took it and both were amused when he glanced over at Sophie and copied her actions by tossing it back into his mouth. He came up with an awful look on his face, a gag just barely suppressed.

"Very good," Madam Pomfrey said. "Now get some rest, Mr. Johnson, so that you may join the rest of your class tomorrow."

Miles nodded and the mediwitch turned to walk out of the room.

"I will have a house elf bring you up some dinner, Professor," Madam Pomfrey called back.

With that, she was gone and the two were left alone in the large room.

"Did yours taste as awful as mine did?" Miles asked.

Sophie shrugged, "How was yours?"

The young boy watched her for a moment, and then repeated her by shrugging and replying, "I was alright."

Sophie smiled at him and rested her head back against the bed once more. Being awake was really starting to take its toll on her, but she desperately wanted to be awake when Snape came.

Dinner came and went as she at what the elves had brought up for her without any sign of the Potions Professor. Sophie returned to her conversations with Miles who was telling her about his troubles with a few particular Slytherin boys who liked to make fun of him. She tried her best to give him helpful advice while thinking about Snape, but eventually had to give her mind over to the first year boy.

And then it was time for him to sleep or else Madam Pomfrey would move her bed. Sophie was left alone with her thoughts as Miles fell asleep and she waited for Severus Snape to appear. The hours slipped by agonizingly slow and darkness blanketed the room.

Madam Pomfrey retired to her rooms and Sophie pretended to be asleep so that she wouldn't have to drink any potion that would force her to sleep as well. Perhaps he was late? Maybe he would come later? She did not really believe any of that.

When her eyes started to grow heavy and the clock passed first twelve, then one, Sophie finally admitted defeat. It was with both heavy eyes and a heavy heart, that she fell asleep.

Severus Snape never showed up.


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing she thought of when she awoke was him, Severus Snape. He hadn't come to see her the night before, though Madam Pomfrey had suggested he would. If he had, then it was well into the morning and Sophie didn't think so. It didn't seem quite right to her.

After she got over her bout of self-pitying, she was almost instantly worried. Was he okay? Was there a reason he couldn't come? But Sophie pushed those thoughts from her mind immediately. Of course he was okay and the reason he hadn't come was because he didn't want to. She should not fool herself into thinking that she was so important to him.

Morning sun shone in through the large windows and Sophie sat up in her bed, feeling a lot better than she had the day before. It was only then that she began to wonder about her injuries. What exactly had that overgrown spider done to her?

Sophie peeked under the blankets to see the damage done to her body.

To her surprise, there was hardly anything there. Just a few thin pink lines that where the scars of her wounds. One of them laid on her stomach and a few on her bare legs.

"They're healing quite well, aren't they?" Madam Pomfrey said as she bustled into view.

Sophie jumped, letting out a tiny shriek as her eyes rose to see the mediwitch working around her.

"All thanks to Professor Snape's potion," Madam Pomfrey continued.

Mention of Snape had all of her thoughts returning to the ever-present question of why he hadn't showed up the night before. Surely he would at least want to make sure that his potion was still working properly!

"Now, I think you'll be ready to return to your room today," the older woman was saying. "But I'd like to keep you here until at least after dinner."

Sophie nodded slowly. She would do whatever the woman told her and she silently wondered if he would come today. She didn't want to leave if he was planning on it.

"Hungry, dear?" Madam Pomfrey inquired.

At that moment her stomach chose to growl loudly and the mediwitch bobbed her head knowingly.

"I'll send for some breakfast in just a moment," she said.

"Thank you," Sophie replied, looking up at the woman who was taking care of her.

Poppy Pomfrey looked down with surprised eyes and then smiled slowly, "You're welcome, of course, dear."

It wasn't long after that when a house elf named Dobby arrived with a plate filled to the brim with all sorts of breakfast foods.

"Dobby wasn't sure what the Miss would like, so Dobby brought it all, Miss," the small creature stated proudly, eyes shining as he looked up at her.

Sophie smiled at him as she took in his rather odd appearance. The elf was wearing two brightly colored, but different socks on each foot – one blue and neon green with stripes, the other orange and polka dotted with purple spots. As a sort of dress, he wore an overlarge shirt that was a faded grey color, but with bright pins attached. On his head sat an assortment of hats.

"Is Miss pleased?" Dobby asked.

Sophie moved on from the sight of the elf and stared down at her food. It looked glorious. Mountains of pancakes with whipped cream started on one side, followed by French toast and waffles. Eggs came next, scrambled and over easy, beside two pieces of white bread toast. Beside that was an assortment of potatoes for her to choose from along with several pieces of fruit. And last came the drinks: coffee, tea, pumpkin juice, orange juice, and milk all sat before her.

It looked fabulous and Sophie told the house elf so, causing him to beam up at him.

"Miss is too kind!" Dobby cried. "Miss is like Harry Potter! Too kind to Dobby!"

For a moment she was caught off guard to learn that the house elf knew the Potter boy, but she knew that he had seen a lot of things and she realized that perhaps she should not be so surprised after all.

"Thank you so much, Dobby," Sophie said as she started to dig into her meal. She knew she would never be able to finish it, but she was going to try her hardest. "I'm just upset because I know I won't be able to eat it all."

After Dobby assured her that it was alright, he slipped from the room and she was left alone to eat. The room was quiet. Miles had been release upon awakening and now Sophie felt the loneliness seep in on her.

With the quiet, came more thoughts of Severus Snape. She was no longer upset about him not showing up. She knew he had made no promise to her that he would come; he didn't even know she knew he had been there before. It was not really his fault.

Now, Sophie wanted to get out of this bed more than ever. She was ready to go down to breakfast in the Great Hall and take her seat next to the Potion's Master. If only she wasn't stuck in this bed, but she knew better than to argue with Madam Pomfrey over her health. The mediwitch would win every time.

Snape had intended on going to see the girl after dinner. It had been the high point of his day and he had been waiting for it all day. Though he didn't like it, it was the truth. Things had not turned out like he had planned.

After the last hour of the day, Snape had been packing all of his essays away to grade in his office. His arm was starting to burn; causing him slight discomfort that he knew was supposed to be nearly crippling pain. He had gotten very good at ignoring pain like this.

As he exited the classroom he felt the Mark flash, burning hot, and suddenly he knew he was being summoned. Snape barely had time to warn Dumbledore before he was rushing off of the grounds and Apparating away under the cover of the oncoming nightfall.

He had appeared in front of a house that was very familiar to him – Malfoy Manor. Snape had been here on many occasions, not only while serving the Dark Lord. Lucius had always been close to him and he had been to parties and other social events when invited.

Gathering himself, Snape walked up to the large black gates that swung open without hesitation, granting him entry. This treatment was not for everyone, he knew, Snape was just one of the few who were allowed access without the usual scrutiny of his fellow.

Snape strode with purpose toward the doors of the Manor, following the path that was meticulously laid out before his feet. At the house, he simply showed his Dark Mark to the house elf at the door and sneered his name at the insolent creature. It was quivering in fear as it allowed him entry to the house.

As Snape made his way toward the room he knew the Dark Lord was waiting, he felt his Mark throb and he fought the urge to grab it. He knew that touching it would do nothing except show weakness. Snape never showed his weaknesses.

The large doors opened to him and Severus Snape stepped into a long, tall room. At the end sat a large chair and in it, sat none other than the Dark Lord. His face was pale white and instead of a nose, he had snake-like slits. His eyes were nearly red.

Snape bowed before the powerful wizard, his master, and kept his mind carefully blank. The entire time he was there, he kept eye contact with the other man – if he could even be called that anymore – as a sign of respect that he knew the Dark Lord demanded at all times.

"What do you wish of me, my Lord?" Snape questioned as he straightened to full height.

The Dark Lord stared down at him coolly for a few seconds before he spoke, "Have you any news on Dumbledore, Severus?"

The 's' in his name was drawn out like that of a snake.

"No, my lord," Snape replied. "Nothing has changed."

Snape could feel the pressure in his mind, the searching of another presence there that he hated and yet accepted. He willingly gave up memories of himself in Dumbledore's office, the two of them discussing what Voldemort would be up to. Out came memories of them discussing what they would discuss with the Order.

The Dark Lord retreated from his mind willingly and Snape remained stone cold as his master grinned.

"Very good," the Dark Lord praised.

There was movement in the corners of the room and the Dark Lord's eyes swept over to his servants which waited for his command. Wormtail and Lucius Malfoy were among them. His eyes came back up to Snape coldly.

"He does not suspect you?" he asked.

Snape shook his head but a fraction, "No, my lord. He believes everything I tell him."

A cold smile washed over the evil wizard's face.

"Dumbledore is a fool," he hissed.

Another, unintelligible hissing came from by the doorway and Snape watched as his fellow Death Eaters hastily scurried away from the large snake, Nagini. The Dark Lord replied in Parseltongue. Another snap of his eyes and he was fixed back on Snape.

"But you mustn't get lazy, Snape. I think I will remind you what it would be like shall Dumbledore learn of your true loyalties."

Pain like no other washed over his body and he barely had time to hear the curse being cast. A light flashed and he lost all feeling other than the blinding pain. Snape did not make a sound as he was tortured with the Crutiatus Curse, an Unforgivable he was all too familiar with.

Lesser men would scream in his place or beg to be released, beg for death. Snape did not utter a word or let out so much as a breath as he crumpled to the stone floor beneath him. He knew that he was the only one of the Death Eaters who did not make any noise and he also knew that it both pleased and annoyed his master that he could not get a rise out of his trusted follower.

Snape let himself fall back into the place where he stored all of his most precious memories, behind the wall he had built to protect himself. This was how he'd survived this curse all these years and he was nearly used to it by now. His eyes fell closed and he barricaded himself in the back of his mind so that he would not make a noise to tell of his discomfort.

Then, swimming before his eyes, he saw her. Sophia Roe was there in his mind's eye, smiling at him. The pain suddenly lessened just a little and it was just that much more bearable. She was talking to him, asking him questions and Snape let her voice wash over him. He didn't know why his brain brought images of her, but he clung to them through the intense agony.

What seemed like hours later, the curse was lifted and sound returned to his ears. Everything was so much brighter and louder than it had been before he'd been hit. Snape would never admit to this, though, as he rose from the ground and met the eyes of his smirking master and he pushed all thoughts of Sophia to the farthest corner of his mind.

"Ah, Snape," he said. "You are one of my favorites."

Snape knew this was no compliment, but he bowed respectfully all the same.

"Now go," the Dark Lord commanded. "I will call you again when I have need."

Again, Snape bowed and then whipped about and stalked purposefully from the room. Lucius Malfoy was right behind him.

"My friend," he greeted, though the word 'friend' seemed to mean little to him. "How is the Potter boy coming along?"

Snape sneered, "That is business for the Dark Lord and him only, Lucius. You wouldn't want to be given information that is not your own, would you?"

Lucius was quick to reply, "Only inquiring on the boy's safety, how far he is coming along in his studies. No harm in that, is there?"

Severus eyed his friend coolly, "No."

"So he is doing well?" Mr. Malfoy questioned.

"As well as can be expected of 'the Chosen One'," he answered. He knew that everyone hated the boy at the moment. They all believed him to be crazy for claiming that the Dark Lord really was back. They all despised him and Dumbledore, both.

Lucius nodded, "Very good. I suppose I will see you at the next meeting, then, Severus."

"Lucius," he replied.

No more left to talk about, Snape left the Manor and Apparated back to the castle as soon as he stepped beyond the tall black gates. All that was left was a sharp pop, and then blackness covered the spot once more.

Severus Snape arrived back at Hogwarts, feeling very sick to his stomach. The Crutiatus Curse, though not doing anything on the outside, had really gotten to him and he felt shaky and exhausted. He knew that he had to report to Dumbledore before he could do anything, though.

He through the castle and stopped before the large gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's Office. Snape gave the password, "Peppermint Toads", and headed up to meet with his second master.

Dumbledore was wide awake and seated at his desk, writing something with a quill that was unusually long. He wore his half-moon spectacles and he looked up upon Snape's entrance, smiling softly.

"Severus," he said softly, putting down the quill and giving his full attention to the younger man. "I assume you have news?"

Snape sighed and threw himself into one of the chairs that faced Dumbledore's desk.

"Nothing more than I could give you yesterday," he answered in agitation. "The Dark Lord was just checking in, making sure that you were still as unaware as you were the last time we spoke. His last attempt into the Ministry failed."

Dumbledore also sighed and was quiet as he thought things over.

"You look tired, Severus. Have a chocolate frog," he offered.

Snape shook his head to decline, but upon further thought, reached out and grabbed two from the old man's outstretched hands. He opened it and immediately stuck it in his mouth, feeling slight relief from the curse's affects, he was now just tired.

"Who did you get?" Dumbledore asked, curious.

Snape gave the older wizard the card without even looking at it.

"Ah," the Headmaster sighed. "Alas, one can only see their face so many times before it gets old and tiresome."

Dumbledore placed the card on the desk facedown.

"I think that is all for tonight, Severus," he stated. "You may return to your rooms. You look exhausted."

"Why thank you, Headmaster," Snape replied sarcastically, but he stood and started toward the door. His words were not as harsh as they usually were.

Dumbledore smiled, "Good night, Severus."

Snape inclined his head and closed the door behind him, sweeping down the staircase and toward his rooms to sleep off the aching still residing in his bones.


	6. Chapter 6

Sophie was finally released from the hospital wing that night, right before dinner. Dobby offered to get her robes from her room so that she would not have to walk around in her bloody ones or the hospital gown. She was excited to escape the dreadfully boring wing she'd stayed in all day.

"Don't stress yourself out, dear," Madam Pomfrey was saying.

Sophie smiled brightly at her newfound friend, "What can possibly stress me out? I'm going to dinner and then bed."

The mediwitch raised her eyebrows, but didn't say a word.

Sophie smiled wider, "Alright, I won't stress myself out."

With those last words, the happy professor headed down the stairs and into the crowded school. She hadn't traveled these halls in a few days and now she found that eyes were drawn to her as she made her way to the Great Hall. Sophie smiled at all of the curious faces, but didn't stop walking.

"Hello Professor Roe," an airy voice called.

Luna Lovegood was waving from the edge of the hallway, near the wall. Sophie started her way over toward the imaginative young Ravenclaw.

"Hi Luna," Sophie replied.

"I haven't seen you in class lately," Luna stated. "Did nargles have anything to do with it? They are getting very bad right now."

Sophie shook her head, "Oh no, I haven't seen any nargles in lately, Luna. I was in the Forbidden Forest and had an accident. Guess that's what I get for going somewhere that's forbidden, right?"

Luna's wide eyes stared up at her, "But you had a good reason, didn't you?"

"Yes," Sophie replied.

"Then why should you be in trouble for it?" the girl asked.

Sophie shrugged her shoulders, "There's a reason people aren't supposed to go in there, Luna."

The fourth year nodded, "I suppose. Well, I must be going. I seem to have misplaced my shoes again."

Sophie was surprised to look down and find that the young girl was bare foot as she walked through the castle.

"All of your shoes are gone, Luna?" she questioned.

The Ravenclaw answered, "Yes. I can't ever find them anymore. Some of the people in my house think it's funny to hide them on me."

A frown tugged at the corners of Sophia Roe's mouth, "They steal your shoes?"

"It's all fun and games," Luna replied. "I really must be going."

Sophie nodded, "Alright then, good luck. If I see your shoes I'll let you know."

Luna smiled, "Thanks, Professor."

Kids passed by on all sides, though classes were over. The halls were filled because dinner was about to start and Sophie joined them to take her place among the staff. She wondered who had been teaching her class while she was out.

Finally, she broke through into a deserted hallway and Sophie gathered herself before she stepped out to the Head Table. When she arrived, it was to find that things had not changed at all, not that she'd expected them to. The hall was buzzing with all of the voices that filled it to capacity. Sophie walked brightly over to her spot beside Snape.

Professor Severus Snape was seated in his usual chair, dark and hostile as ever. He did not look up as she took her spot, but Sophie didn't care. She was happy enough just to see him again and she felt immense relief at realizing that her fears were for nothing. He was fine. He just hadn't wanted to come and check on her again.

Professor Flitwick was not at the table yet and so the seat next to her was empty. Sophie decided to strike up a conversation with the only person around to do so. Snape would just have to endure.

"Thank you," she said brightly, without warning.

Sophie stared up at Snape expectantly, but he did not turn to her. He continued to chew his food meticulously, not even casting a glance in her direction.

Sophie cleared her throat, "Excuse me, Professor Snape."

At this, he acknowledged her, turning his dark eyes on her bright ones.

"Yes, Ms. Roe?" Snape replied.

His harsh tone did not discourage Sophie in the slightest as she repeated, "I just wanted to thank you. For saving my life."

The Potion's Master raised his eyebrows at her, "I didn't save your life, Ms. Roe."

"Madam Pomfrey said it was very close. She said the bleeding was too extensive for what she had available. It was implied that I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't been where you were when Professor Sprout came back up to the castle," Sophie pressed.

Snape did not know what to say. It was true, she didn't seem as if she would make it and Madam Pomfrey did not have the necessary means to treat such injuries, but he did not think the label of 'saving her life' should be placed on him. He wasn't nearly that heroic.

"You don't have to say anything," Sophie said, echoing Snape's thoughts. "I just wanted you to know how grateful I am that you were there. And I wanted to say thank you."

Snape was staring down into her eyes and he felt something in his chest throb. She was genuinely thanking him and was glad that he was around. No one had ever been happy for him to be somewhere. Usually they just wanted him gone.

"You're welcome," Snape said softly.

He watched as the breath caught in her throat before she beamed up at him. He was glad that he could make her smile like that and he was happy that it was aimed at him. Sophia Roe was definitely unlike any other person he'd ever met.

It was then that Professor Flitwick sat down and he immediately called Sophie's attention to him. Snape did not mind too much, though. He didn't need any more conflicting thoughts about this girl.

"You were attacked by an Acromantula?" Flitwick was asking. "Dumbledore had said you were, but I could hardly believe it!"

Snape could see Sophia nodding out of the corner of his eye.

He heard her reply, "I couldn't believe it either. It was so lucky that Professor Snape was around the corner when we got back to the castle. I wouldn't be sitting with you today!"

Severus Snape was unsure how he liked being talked about with that praising voice. He found from her, he could accept it.

Flitwick left only a few moments after he sat down and Sophia returned her attention to him once he'd gone. She spun around to face him, forgetting herself and knocking into a glass of pumpkin juice, spilling it across both of their plates and nearly into their laps.

"Oh!" she cried. "I'm so sorry!"

Sophie stood and looked down at the mess with wide eyes.

"Just magick it away, Ms. Roe," Snape said. "It will be fine."

He watched as Sophia nodded her head and patted her pockets slowly, then frantically in search of her wand.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed as her hands fell at her sides.

"Have you forgotten your wand, Ms. Roe?" Snape inquired.

Sophia was shaking her head sadly, "No."

"Then why have you not cleared this mess yet?" he asked, his voice laced with irritation.

The young professor sighed heavily. "It fell out of my hands when I was attacked," she answered. "I never got it back. I think it's still in the forest!"

Snape was surprised to learn this. No one remembered to grab it? What was a witch without her wand?

"Very well," he replied and took out his own wand.

He waved it before him and the mess disappeared, leaving them with a spotless table.

"Perhaps you can retrieve it after dinner," Severus suggested, gathering more food onto his plate.

Sophia was still very obviously distressed, "Would you go with me, Professor?"

Snape startled at the question. "And of what help would I be to you, Ms. Roe?"

"There could be more Acromantulas out there," she said. "And I don't have my wand so I can't protect myself. Besides, it's getting dark and I won't be able to see a thing on the ground."

The Potion's Master looked at Sophia with an incredulous expression, "And you think I would be the best to help you?"

Sophia nodded at him, "Of course! Who better than you?"

Snape didn't know if he should take this as a compliment.

In her head, Sophie was berating herself. Not only had she forgotten all about her wand, she was also practically begging Snape to help her find it in the middle of the night. He probably had more important business to attend to and she was just getting in the way. Why couldn't she just give it up and go ask someone who had the time and patience on their hands.

Just when Sophie was about to tell him she would find someone else. Snape spoke.

"Very well," Severus said. "After dinner."

He wondered why he was fighting with her in the first place. It wasn't like he didn't want to go with her.

When dinner was finished, both Professors stood from their seats and started out of the Great Hall, toward the front doors of the castle.

"We will need you to keep these doors unlocked for a few more hours, Argus," Snape said as he passed the caretaker.

"Of course, Professor Snape," Filch replied, practically bowing as he scurried out of the way.

Sophie had to walk quickly to keep up with Snape, sticking close to his side. She could feel her heart pounding away in her chest the closer they got to the forest.

"Where were you attacked, Ms. Roe?" Snape questioned.

Sophie jumped. She hadn't realized they'd been standing on the edge of the woods, waiting for her to take the first step and lead the way.

"Over here," she muttered.

She led them farther into the trees until she found the spot where the Acromantula had come out of nowhere. There was blood on the ground where it stabbed her and all around the area. The ground was tossed about; looking like a struggle had taken place there. It definitely had.

"Where did you lose your wand?" Snape questioned as he surveyed the area.

He didn't like what he saw. Signs of struggle were everywhere, her blood stained the dirt. He could feel the tension thick in the air, as if it had happened moments ago instead of days.

"Over here, I think," Sophia replied to him.

Snape followed her lead into the darkness behind a pile of trees.

The two professors searched the woods for a long while, sharing the light cast from Snape's own wand and the light of the moon and stars. Neither could find out where it had gone upon her lost grip. Snape was starting to worry that another magical being found it and carried it off with them. There was a reason that only wizards carried wands and it would be very dangerous if they had an angry centaur or other creature on the loose with a wand.

"Found it!" Sophie suddenly called, standing up in victory.

Snape's eyes landed on her face, finding her standing there in delighted triumph. She had lit the wand and it glowed softly, lighting up her entire face. Her light hair was messed up slightly and it was catching the light interestingly.

There was something about the way she looked, standing there in the dark, which intrigued Snape. She watched him silently, the smile just fading from her face, and Snape had the overwhelming urge to kiss her.

Sophie stared up at the Potion's Master. He was a dark as night, but somehow different. He seemed to be safe, like he could protect her from anything. She was not scared when he was there. Looking into his dark eyes, she found that she could not help but hope he would lean down just slightly.

"Shall we get back to the castle then?" Snape asked, spinning around.

Sophie sighed, "Of course."

Snape began stalking out of the forest and Sophie followed sullenly behind him. His stride was much too long for her, though, and soon she found herself falling back. With him so far out of reach, she was feeling less and less safe and more like anything bad could happen.

"Professor Snape!" Sophie called, running to catch up.

Severus stopped when she yelled his name. For a moment, his heart was in his throat, and he was afraid something had attacked her when he turned his back. Upon turning around, he was relieved to find that she was perfectly safe, but also surprised to learn how far behind him she actually was.

"Please slow down," Sophia requested. "I can't walk that fast."

Snape stared down at the girl for a long moment and then continued walking, this time at a slower pace.

"Thank you," she sighed softly.

At the castle, the two professors parted ways.

Sophie smiled at the Potion's Master.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Professor," she called.

Snape simply inclined his head and watched as she smiled, nearly skipping down the hall to her rooms. Knowing that she would be okay, he was able to spin on his heel and marched back to own bedroom for the night.

Lying in bed not too long after that, the two of them fell asleep, thinking of each other.


	7. Chapter 7

"Mr. Longbottom, your work is simply dreadful. Should you add another ingredient it may, in fact, explode. Evanesco," Snape said.

The frothing purple potion disappeared from the cauldron and Neville sighed as he looked around at all of the simmering orange ones around him. There was no point in starting over, the period was almost over and there wasn't enough time to get anything done.

Neville packed up his things and sat dejectedly at his table. The rest of the class was working feverishly to finish their own potions as Snape paced by, making snide comments as he passed.

Snape glared at his fifth year class of Gryffindor and Slytherin as he walked among them. None of these brats showed even the slightest inclination of having the ability to make potions. The exception could have been Hermione Granger, but he knew it was only the fact that she did everything like this that made her able to produce what he asked. She had no passion for the fine art of potion making.

At the end of the hour, Snape ordered them to stop what they were doing and put their potions into vials to be graded. The students scurried from the room, obviously relieved to be leaving.

"It's alright Neville," Snape heard the Granger girl saying.

"I know," the boy replied. "I just can't do potions."

Snape sneered to himself, didn't he know that.

"But you're great at Herbology," he heard Potter say.

"Yeah Neville, look on the bright side, we've got Care of Magical Creatures next," Weasley's voice said.

Snape raised his eyebrows. So they went from him to the ever sweet Sophia Roe? He wondered if she was any good at teaching.

"Yeah, that's good," Longbottom agreed, sounding brightened.

It was then that Snape decided to intervene.

He rounded on them, staring down into their eyes coldly, "And what do you think you are still doing in my classroom?"

The Longbottom boy stuttered, but couldn't reply.

"We were just leaving," Granger said.

She put her hand on the frightened boy's shoulder and led him toward the door. The two other boys followed, throwing him dirty looks over their shoulders. Snape wanted so bad to send them to detention for their obvious lack of respect for him as their professor, Harry Potter was just like his father, thinking he could do whatever he pleased just because he was the 'Chosen One. Instead, he held his tongue and glared back until they had left his classroom.

Snape glowered at the floor and got ready for his next class to arrive, picking up after his dunderheaded students who apparently couldn't do it themselves.

Sophie was also getting ready for her coming class. The seventh year Hufflepuff and Slytherin class had just left and it wasn't long until Slytherin and Gryffindor alike came waltzing down the hill toward her, talking amongst themselves.

"Hello Professor Roe," a voice called.

Sophie looked up to see Neville Longbottom walking up, the Golden Trio on all sides. She noticed how the other kids gave Harry Potter a wide berth, some of them glaring, others staring. He didn't seem to be paying attention to them.

She smiled widely at the kind fifth year who never could get anything right.

"Hello Mr. Longbottom," she greeted. "How are you doing?"

He shrugged and looked at her sullenly, "Alright, I suppose. We just came from Potions."

Sophie was immediately reminded of Snape, who she knew was the Potion's Master. She'd heard rumors of how awful he was and everyone knew to stay away from the 'greasy dungeon bat', but she was curious if he was really as bad as they said. Perhaps he would let her sit in on his class one day if she asked nicely.

"Wasn't good, then?" Sophie questioned.

Neville shook his head, "I'm too afraid of Professor Snape. And besides, I'm not good with mixing and copying the instructions perfectly. I always forget what they say."

"Not everyone's cut out to be a Potion's Master," Sophie replied. "You're very good with plants, or so I've heard from Professor Sprout. She thinks very highly of you, Mr. Longbottom."

At this, the boy's eyes lit up and he smiled sheepishly, "Well, yeah. Plants are easy. They don't talk back to you or anything."

Sophie grinned and checked her watch, class was starting.

"You better get with your class, Mr. Longbottom," she said. "Class will be starting as soon as you are."

Neville nodded and hurried off to stand with the rest of the Gryffindors, separated by a foot long gap from the Slytherins.

"Now today we will…"

Class finally ended for the day and Sophie packed up her things. She knew she'd have to move her class inside soon. It was really too cold to be conducting it outside anymore. Maybe when it got warmer, but then again, Hagrid would probably be back for that part of the year.

Sophie sighed. She'd forgotten she would be giving up her class whenever the half-giant returned from his 'trip'. It was sad to think that she would no longer be teaching these students, who she was starting to form attachments to. She didn't want to think about giving them up in the middle of the year.

Oh well, she knew it was Hagrid's class and she wouldn't keep it from him either.

The young professor made her way up the large hill and toward the castle silently, clutching her things to her chest, her wand held firmly in her right hand. Ever since the incident with the Acromantula, she'd been weary of the Forbidden Forest. Not that she was afraid, but she would forever be on her guard around it.

Sophie stepped through the doors of the castle and let them close behind her as she stuffed her wand into a pocket in her robes. Coming up from the dungeons was none other than Professor Snape. He was wearing a scowl, glaring at every student that passed by. His robes billowed out around him, giving him an all more intimidating factor, though she didn't feel affected by it.

She continued walking, making a path to him. Snape didn't stop, though she knew he'd seen her. She didn't mind because she knew that the Potion's Master didn't stop for anyone. If she wanted to talk to him, she'd have to put an effort into it.

Sophie knew she was lucky to have him talk to her at all. She'd heard from the other professors that he normally blew people off and spat scathing remarks at them, no matter what they said. They said he was even like that toward Dumbledore, though more reserved and respectful. It was lucky that he didn't seem to hate her enough to send her away immediately when she came to speak to him.

"Professor Snape!" Sophie called, catching up with him and falling into step at his side.

"Ms. Roe," he replied.

It was only then that she realized he always called her 'Ms. Roe' and not Professor Roe or Sophie like the other professors called her. For a moment she wondered if it was a sign of disrespect, but then she decided that it didn't and pushed it from her mind.

"Would you like something?" he asked, calling her back from the depths of her mind.

"Oh!" Sophie said, looking back up at him. A smile fell across her face. "Yes. I just wanted to thank you for helping me find my wand! I was so upset to lose it. I'm not sure what I would have done without you."

Snape didn't know how to reply to that. The girl had thanked him twice now, twice more than he'd ever been thanked in his life, and he didn't know what to say. He didn't even know why he'd helped her. It wasn't like he was gaining anything from it. He just did it.

Snape opened his mouth to reply, but never got the chance.

"Professor Snape!" another voice shouted.

The Potion's Master spun around to see that Umbridge was making her way through the crowds towards him. He had to fight back a snarl of disgust as she waved a pudgy arm his way and called his name again. He hated that voice almost more than any other.

"Well," a sweet voice said.

Snape looked back down to see Sophia still standing there. She smiled softly up at him and he wondered to himself how she was always so happy to see him.

"I suppose I'll leave you now," she stated, glancing over at Umbridge.

The woman was almost to them and Severus could feel the tension rolling off of the young woman as she edged away. He nodded.

Sophia Roe grinned, "I'll see you at dinner then."

Then she was off, and he turned to see a much uglier, toad-like witch standing before him.

"Professor Snape," she said.

Snape raised his eyebrows coolly at her, "Professor Umbridge."

"I need to speak to you about what exactly should happen when punishing students. Now I've heard that you have a very strict policy…" she went on to say.

Snape listened intently and played his roll well, never saying an ill thing toward her. She didn't seem to get it that he wasn't being all that kind to her either, though.

Finally, when they made it to the Great Hall for dinner, she let him go.

"I'll speak to you again later, then," she called.

Snape merely nodded at her again, leaving her to stalk off to his spot at the table.

Sophia was already there, chatting casually with Professor Flitwick as he walked by. She paused in her conversation to greet him.

"Good evening, Professor Snape. How was your conversation with Professor Umbridge?" she asked, a smile on her face.

Did she ever quit smiling? He couldn't help but think to himself.

"It was a conversation I would like not to repeat again," he stated, seating himself beside her.

The food had already come out and Snape helped himself.

Sophia nodded at him, but then turned back away to speak to Flitwick once more. Severus Snape sat and silently glared down at his students. It wasn't long before his eyes wandered over to the Gryffindor table, the one he wished he could stay away from.

Longbottom looked happier than he'd expected the boy to be. Of course, he did have Sophia as a professor right after him, so maybe that affected his mood. Snape wasn't sure how he felt about his influence being righted like this.

Dinner did not last long and before he knew it, Sophia was rising beside him, turning to tell him good-bye.

"Good night, Professor Snape," she said with that ever present grin.

He inclined his head at her, "Ms. Roe."

For a moment, Sophie considered asking him why he always called her that, but then decided not to. There was no point in it for now.

Sophie smiled widely at him and started for the doors. She had to get down to the greenhouses; Professor Sprout would be waiting for her. Today they would be starting back up her apprenticeship and she was both excited and nervous, but she was ready for whatever would be thrown her way.

As she exited the castle, she cast a heating charm around herself and continued across the grounds to her destination. The night was cold and windy, but Sophie was excited to get started on their newest project.

Sprout was waiting for her with her robe slung over the back of a chair, her hair pulled up off her neck, and sweat dripping down her face. A smile greeted the young witch as she entered the heated greenhouse.

"Good evening, Sophie," Professor Sprout said happily. "I'm glad that our accident out in the forest didn't scare you off for good."

Sophie shook her head, "Oh, no! I love coming to help out. I'll never let anything like that happen again, anyway."

Sprout nodded, impressed. "Good. Let's get started."

The Professor immediately began showing the younger woman what she would need to do for this particular assignment. They were collecting the pollen of a rare plant, one that was used in medicines the school would need, like a Calming Draught.

Both started to work in silence.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened," Sprout said after half an hour.

Sophie looked up, startled out of her work.

"Happened when?" she asked. She thought she had an idea, though.

"For the forest," Professor Sprout stated, looking down at the table. "If I'd known the Acromantulas were getting so close, I wouldn't have brought you in there. I wouldn't have let you let your guard down and I certainly wouldn't have let down mine! But I've just never had anything happen before. Not a routine job like that, anyway!"

By now, the woman was shaking, her voice quivering.

"I'm so sorry and I thank you so much for being willing to come back. I won't have you go into the forest again. I'll do all those runs myself," she said.

Sophie's eyes widened, she hadn't known the attack had affected the Professor that way.

"Oh! No, don't feel like that! It wasn't your fault. I knew there were things in the forest to be aware of! I was just so excited. I don't blame you at all! And I'd love to go back into the forest, if you'll let me. I want you to show me everything, not just the 'safe' stuff," Sophie said.

Pomona Sprout looked up with watery eyes, "I'm so sorry, Ms. Roe. I'm so glad you weren't hurt."

Sophie smiled softly, "Thank you. I'm just as relieved you came out of it okay, too."

Professor Sprout gave a watery smile in reply, stepping forward to hug the younger woman. She laughed, wiping her eyes and rolling up to the ceiling.

"Sorry about all that! What a mess I've let myself become. But, you're off for the rest of the night. There's nothing left for you here, anyway," the Professor stated.

The younger woman gathered her things and started back to the castle after waving to Sprout. She looked much better than she had earlier.

Darkness surrounded her and Sophie found that it had only gotten colder since she'd arrived at the greenhouse. Her body shivered and she drew her robes closer about her, thinking that she'd need to start wearing heavier ones on these trips.

She welcomed the warmth of the castle as she entered, rubbing her arms and exhaling loudly. Her eyes were drawn to a stairwell by the sound of footsteps descending. Her gaze was met only seconds later by the sight of none other than Severus Snape.

He stopped when he saw her, then slowly stalked closer, raising an eyebrow.

"Ms. Roe," he greeted smoothly, as always.

She couldn't help but to smile up at him, "Professor Snape!"

"What are you doing out so late?" he inquired. He knew that she did not make rounds as the rest of the professors did. She wasn't given a schedule because she had odd hours and the like.

"Oh, I was just out with Professor Sprout in the greenhouses," Sophia stated, gesturing toward the large doors behind her.

Snape nodded, "I see."

"What were you doing?" she asked.

Snape watched her with a questioning gaze.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Was that too personal? Something I shouldn't have asked? You don't have to tell me!" Sophia quickly apologized.

Oddly, Severus didn't feel like it was an intrusion coming from her. He felt he could tell her what he was doing, as long as he didn't give too many details.

"I was talking with the Headmaster about some important upcoming details," Snape said. "He needed to go over some last minute things with me."

He watched as Sophia nodded, "I haven't spoken with the Headmaster too much since I got here. I know he's got a lot of other things on his mind lately. Especially with the ministry down his throat right now and everyone thinking he's a liar."

Snape nodded, "Yes."

Sophia was still smiling up at him and Snape wondered if she was really so happy to see him or if she was just always smiling and couldn't quit even around him. He didn't think it could be that she was glad to see him, but he didn't think the other solution was plausible either.

"If that was it," Snape started. "I must be going."

"Oh!" Sophia exclaimed. "Of course! I'm so sorry!"

Snape nodded again.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then, Professor Snape," she said.

They parted ways and Snape continued on down to his room in the farthest corner of the dungeons. He thought of what he was actually there to see the Headmaster for and wondered what she would think if she knew the truth.

He'd finished his dinner quickly after she'd left and it hadn't been too long after that when he'd made his way up to the Dumbledore's office, being forced to talk to that stupid gargoyle and give it the awful, sickly sweet password the Headmaster had come up with. It had let him up only after he'd uttered it twice and he was nearly growling with rage.

Dumbledore looked up upon his entrance, his eyes twinkling brightly.

"Ah, Severus, what can I do to help you?" he asked, setting aside his Phoenix Feather quill.

Snape stalked back and forth across the floor, his hands folded behind his back and his eyebrows furrowed as he thought about what to say. Dumbledore was the only one he trusted enough to confide in, but there was so much that he himself was unsure about. Where to even start?

The Headmaster smiled knowingly, "Have a seat, my boy."

Severus Snape did as he was told, but this did not keep him from scowling down at the floor. How did he say what he wanted to? Should he even say it? What was there to say about it?

"You are having some trouble figuring out how to take Ms. Roe," Dumbledore stated.

Snape's head snapped up and his eyes met the all-knowing ones of Albus Dumbledore.

"Am I right?" the Headmaster questioned.

Snape gave a large sigh and stood back up, pacing the floor again.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked. "The infernal woman! Always smiling like she knows that I am not the Death Eater I portray myself as! She couldn't possibly know."

Dumbledore nodded simply, "Ms. Roe has been through a lot that not many people know about. She is quite attuned to people."

Snape rounded on the older wizard, "And what is that supposed to mean? That she can tell that I'm a spy?"

"Oh no, nothing like that," Dumbledore replied. "Just that she is a very trusting woman."

"Then she is a fool," Severus stated.

Dumbledore shook his head, "There is more to it than that, Severus. Sophie Roe trusts me, and therefore, trusts you. She's a very good judge of character as well."

"What are you trying to say?" Snape snapped. "Stop talking in riddles!"

Dumbledore sighed, "You'll just have to find out on your own, Severus. I'm sure that I am not the right person to be discussing these matters with. Only she can tell you why she is like she is now."

Snape growled and turned to leave the room, feeling frustrated by the lack of explanation he'd gotten from the Headmaster.

"Severus," Dumbledore called before he could get to the door.

Snape spun around, "What?"

"If you don't mind, I have some matters I'd like to discuss with you while I have you here," the Headmaster stated.

"Of course," Snape agreed, finding himself faced with the reality of the Dark Lord once again.

He seated himself in the chair across from the Headmaster's desk, the same one he'd thrown himself from only minutes before.

"Now Tom has…"

Snape sighed as he got into bed, feeling just as confused and angry as he had then. He knew he would be getting little sleep, but still, he turned on his side and shut his eyes. The best he could hope for was to dream of nothing at all.


	8. Chapter 8

Halloween came and went without a hitch. Sophie found herself constantly intrigued by Severus Snape, always wanting to know more about the wizard who seemed against the world and the world against him. Though she wanted to find out more about Snape, he didn't give her that chance. He always pushed her away.

Sophie was discouraged by none of this. She knew when she consciously decided to get to know him that this would be a difficult and she didn't mind that he wasn't kind. After all, she wouldn't want to get to know him if he was open about what he thought and was kind to everyone he knew. That wouldn't be any fun at all.

The first snow had fallen. It was November seventeenth, a Friday, and Sophie was getting ready to go out to her session with Professor Sprout. Snape was not at dinner, but Sophie noticed that he was absent more and more often lately. It concerned her, but she knew his missing meals was none of her business. Someone such as Snape would not appreciate her intruding.

Cold nipped at her exposed cheeks and nose and wind whipped her hair back and across her face. She quickly pulled out her wand and charmed a heating bubble around herself, though it was of little use. It didn't matter, she would be in the toasty warm greenhouse in only a few more minutes.

As expected, the greenhouse was hot with all of the charms Professor Sprout had placed on it to keep the plants warm. An artificial sun shone down on the greenhouse and Sophie squinted for a moment upon entering the building.

"Sophie!" Sprout called, a smile on her face. "Come on over and help me out!"

The older witch was working with her sleeves rolled up, but thick, long gloves over her hands. A wriggling green plant writhed between her fingers, seeming to almost hiss.

Sophie quickly ran over to the supply closet and grabbed gloves similar to Professor Sprout's, shoving them on her hands. A second later, she was prying the evil plant back, holding it tight. Sprout gestured to a large pot in the corner, and they shuffled over to it together.

They shoved the plant into the waiting soil and shoveled the dirt onto it. The hissing quieted and the writhing settled. In silence, the two women breathed heavily and tried to catch their breaths.

When they had finally stopped heaving, Sophie straightened and smiled up at the Professor, "So what are we doing tonight?"

Pomona Sprout laughed out loud, but sobered in only a few seconds.

"I was thinking," she started slowly.

"Yes?" Sophie questioned, pressing her to say more.

"I know you haven't been back in the forest since the incident," Sprout continued. "But you did say you wanted to go back. You don't have to if you don't want to, of course."

Sophie broke out into a grin, stretching from ear to ear.

"I want to!" she nearly shouted. She didn't mention that she had been in there once, if only to retrieve her wand.

Sprout's worried face turned into a smile, "You don't have to."

"What do you want me to do?" Sophie asked.

The professor laughed, "We're going to go out to collect…"

They would be collecting certain plants that Professor Snape had requested for his potions. He was much too busy, but Sprout would already be there, collecting for her own classes as well. Sophie had no problem with this.

They left the heat of the greenhouse and cold immediately chilled them both to the bone. Each woman cast a heating charm and it was even stronger with both of their magic adding to the spell. It was then that they set off.

Light from the moon and the stars was enough on the open castle grounds, but inside the thick trees, the two witches needed to use their wands as guides. Sophie's heart was thumping in her chest faster than she'd thought possible, but she wasn't afraid. No, she was excited to be back in the woods, anticipating something, anything going wrong.

Professor Sprout led Sophie through the woods, both of their eyes sweeping the ground. There was no snow here. The trees had provided as a cover for all of the plants growing on the forest floor.

Every snap of a twig and rustle of a tree had Sprout jumping and searching for the cause. She didn't want anything to happen this time. Nothing would happen to the bright girl following her lead. Pomona wouldn't let it happen.

"How do you want me to gather it?" Sophie questioned.

Professor Sprout turned around to find the younger woman crouched close to the ground, her hand outstretched, but not touching, the plant they were searching for. The older woman quickly rushed over, showing Sophie the right way to collect the weed.

After it was picked and stored, they continued on through the woods. Professor Sprout seemed much more relaxed as well.

What neither woman knew was that a pair of eyes watched them, dark and mysterious. A figure in dark black robes easily blended into the shadows and hid there, eavesdropping on everything they said and did.

Snape Apparated back to the front gates after a nasty meeting with the Dark Lord. He was growing frustrated with the fact that no one could seem to get to that prophecy and when the Dark Lord was angry, everyone knew it.

On the grounds, Snape walked purposefully toward the castle, his eyes scanning the darkness routinely, but not truly expecting to find anything. Hogwarts was the safest place in the world to be at the moment and surely nothing would be wandering the grounds so close to the school.

That was why he was so surprised when he saw the two figures trekking across the snow. They were headed in the direction of the Forbidden Forest and Snape knew that nothing headed in that direction could be a good thing. Either they were students, who needed to be punished for not only being out of bed this late, but out of the castle and headed toward the woods, or they were something else which needed to be taken care of immediately.

Snape did not hesitate as he stalked in the direction of the two figures. They were wearing robes up around their faces and down to their feet, so he couldn't tell what they were. He knew he would have to get a closer look, but he wasn't close enough before they entered the forest.

Into the woods, he followed them. What student in their right mind would make this journey? What purpose would they have to be out in the middle of the night, in the middle of winter? Something told him that he wasn't dealing with two students and the only other option he could think of was something, anything, related to the Dark Lord. His spies sent to scout out the school from the safety of the woods and under the cover of night.

Severus followed them, gripping his wand tightly in his right hand. He was calm, collected, and unafraid of whatever he may find. In his mind, he went over all of the scenarios that could be played out here when he got to them.

And then he heard the voices. Two of them, and they were women. Neither sounded evil or like they had malicious intent. They both sounded familiar, actually.

Snape drew closer to the voices, hidden in the shadows of the trees that surrounded them. There they were, one kneeling on the forest floor, the other standing above. They were discussing something. He took this chance when they weren't paying attention to get a closer look.

Sophia! He was surprised to learn that he had been tracking Sophia Roe and Professor Sprout. The two women seemed to be collecting the herbs he'd requested the day before from the Herbology Professor and they talked quietly amongst themselves as they did.

"And that's how you get that one out!" Sprout was saying. "Think you can handle the next one?"

Sophia nodded and he watched as her hair swished about her face before she wiped it back behind her ear.

"Good, then let's continue," the professor stated.

The two witches started off once more through the dry and dark forest. They were quiet, on constant watch, but they didn't see him.

Snape started to turn around and head back to the castle, learning that the threat was no more than two teachers collecting plants for classes. He could hear their faint voices fading as they moved on to another area of the woods and he took a step away from them, but then grew still.

The last time she'd been in the woods an Acromantula had attacked and that was much closer to the castle grounds than they were now. What was Sprout thinking, bringing her back into a place like this where she could be seriously hurt? They obviously weren't doing the best job in being vigilant about the dangers around them either.

He knew that he couldn't really count himself when thinking about their situation, but they should've known he was there if they were going to be out here. There were things in this forest with worse intent than he had.

Snape turned once more to the sound of the witches' voices. They just weren't be careful enough. Didn't they know that this was a time of war? If the forest was forbidden when it was peaceful, surely it was worse now. He quickly caught up to them and hid himself within the shadows once more.

The night went on without a hitch and it wasn't too long before Snape was trailing them back out of the forest once more. Both women were silent as they walked, each watching the trees as they walked. Neither saw him as he soundlessly followed.

They stopped on the edge of the woods, turning to each other.

"You go on back to the castle, Sophie," Snape heard Sprout say.

"But what about," but the Professor would hear nothing of it.

Pomona Sprout shooed the younger woman away, "Go. There's nothing left for you to do anyway. I know all you really want to do is take a shower and go to sleep anyway."

Snape watched as Sophia smiled shyly, "Well, if you really don't have anything else for me to do."

"Nothing. I'm just going to put these herbs in a safe place and head back to the castle myself," Sprout stated firmly. "Now go."

"Well, good night, Professor," Sophia said.

"Goodnight, Sophie," the woman replied.

With that, she was off, walking in the direction of the greenhouses and over the snow that laid before her. Sophia started off toward the castle and Snape wondered if he should make himself known now. It wasn't like there was any place to hide on the open grounds, anyway.

He decided to make it look like he was just getting back from his meeting. That way, he didn't look like the creep he knew he was certainly acting like. He'd just wanted to make sure she was safe, he knew, but why did he even care? Snape did not want to contemplate the answer to this question just yet.

So he went on with his plan and emerged from the shadows, stalking directly for the young witch. She looked up as he drew closer.

"Professor Snape!" Sophia exclaimed, that easy smile of hers coming back to her face.

"Ms. Roe," he replied, his own face stern and severe.

The witch did not seem to notice or care that he did not return her enthusiasm as she went on to talk to him.

"What are you doing out at such a late hour?" she questioned.

Snape sneered, "I could ask you the same."

Her eyes went wide, "Oh! I was just out in the forest with Professor Sprout. We were collecting some plants for her class. And yours!"

Snape nodded, but did not disclose what he had been doing. She didn't need to know that he was following her and he didn't like thinking about telling her he'd been to see the Dark Lord. That was a conversation he hoped he'd never have with her.

They were quiet and Snape was thankful that the witch beside him was smart enough not to press matters about where he was. That was one of the reasons he didn't do well around people, they pried too much into his business. It was also one of the reasons he could stand to be with her because she didn't ask too many questions when he evaded one answer.

Snape looked down at Sophia walking by his side. Her smile had slipped and she was staring down at the grass, but her face wasn't sad or angry as one might expect, she was just not smiling. He had to wonder what it was like to be so happy that even idle you weren't upset about anything.

She looked up then and Snape met her curious blue eyes. They seemed to almost twinkle, like a certain Headmaster's, but when she looked at him he didn't get the feeling she knew all of his secrets. He was thankful for that.

"How are your classes coming along?" Sophia asked him.

Severus sighed, but knew that at least this was a safe topic to talk about.

"The students are hardly up to standard," he replied scathingly. "Already, they are behind if we are to get everything done by the end of the year."

Sophia nodded, but didn't say anything. Snape was starting to realize that this girl was really good at knowing when to just shut her mouth about things. He was once again brought back to the thought that she must be a Hufflepuff. One with so much knowledge about people would surely have to be someone who couldn't do much else. But he knew that she wasn't like that because he could stand actually talking to her and that was rare to come by.

The castle loomed overhead and Sophia looked up at it beside him. He heard her intake of breath that conveyed her awe at the magnificent school. She really was something, he thought to himself.

Together, they entered the school and he found himself not ready to leave her company. Sometime during their walk, he had relaxed like he hadn't relaxed in a long time, and now he felt if she left the feeling would be gone.

Sophia looked up and smiled at him again, her bright eyes shining.

"I supposed I'll see you tomorrow, then, Professor Snape," she said.

Snape nodded.

The witched grinned softly, "Goodnight."

He didn't reply.

Sophia turned and skipped lightly up the steps to her room and Snape watched her go, thinking about what Dumbledore had told him. There was something in her past that made her like she was today and he should be asking her about it. Now that she was gone, he was insanely curious. What had happened?

Soon, the girl was gone from sight and Snape sighed, heading back to his own room. It was time he got some sleep, though he knew it would only be haunted by nightmares that would keep him from getting any actual rest.

In her room, Sophie got ready for a shower before she went to sleep. Being out in the forest was fun, but now dirt caked her skin and her hair was a tangled mess. A few simple spells could cure both problems, but a hot shower would also soothe her aching muscles and give her time to think.

Sophie knew she had to think about Snape, but she didn't know what to think about him. She liked him, though he'd never given her a reason to. But there was something there, something that intrigued her and made her want to find out more. She didn't know how, though. How do you talk to a man that doesn't want to be talked to?

She sighed as she got out of the shower and dried herself off. Her reflection stared back at her from the mirror and Sophie looked away quickly. She didn't like to see herself.

Quickly, the young professor turned off the light and made her way to her bed, pulling on pajamas before she flopped down into the blankets and pillows. She hoped that no nightmares ate at her tonight as she dozed into a fitful sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Sophie had noticed a steady decline in the attitude of the school's most famous student over the past few months. It seemed Harry Potter was only more and more depressed as time went on. She knew there was a lot on his shoulders and found that she wanted to help him, to comfort him in some way, and to let him know that he wasn't completely alone. Everyone in the school, aside from a select group of students, still looked at him with distrust in their eyes and sneers on their faces.

It was in class that she confronted him. They had just moved into the castle for classes because it was too cold and Sophie called to the boy, asking him to stay after. Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley waited at the door, eyeing her coolly.

Sophie smiled softly at the two teenagers. She could not imagine what it would be like to be that young and have so much of the wizarding world on your shoulders. It couldn't be pleasant.

The young professor noticed as Harry glanced back at his friends, his face unsure.

"Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger can stay if you would like, Mr. Potter," Sophie said and watched as the boy relaxed and the other two students edged into the room once more.

Harry Potter set his things on a table and stood a few feet from her, his eyes curious and guarded.

"I just wanted to ask you how things are," Sophie stated as she sat on the edge of her desk.

His eyes stayed narrowed and cautious, "What kinds of things, Professor?"

Sophie smiled again, hoping to put him at ease, "Everything. I realize it's been a rough year for you and I wanted to ask how you were handling it."

"It's no different than any other year," Harry shrugged.

The substitute professor was saddened to realize that his assessment was correct. This really was no different than any other year he'd been in Hogwarts, if the things she'd heard were anything to go by. This year may actually seem more relaxing than the year before because he was participating in any tournament.

Still, Sophie felt she had to say something. Just because this year was no different than the others didn't mean that it wasn't awful in itself. It was an awful thing to learn that this child was used to all of the evil going on around him. The year had progressed the same as all of the others he'd had at Hogwarts.

"I just wanted to let you know that there are still people who believe you," Sophie told him. "And that you can come to me any time you need to. I'll always be here to help or listen if you need someone to talk to."

The Weasley boy shifted and Sophie was again reminded of the other two children that were Harry Potter's constant companions. Her heart throbbed for them both.

"And you two as well," Sophie stated, looking up at the kids standing toward the door. "If you ever need anything, feel free to come to me. My door is open any day, any time."

Ron Weasley seemed to shrug off the invitation, but the Granger girl smiled in response.

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said.

Sophie smiled back, wider than she had been before, "Of course!" Her eyes wandered up to the clock above the door way and she turned back to her students. "But you might want to be going now; you don't want to be late for your next class."

The kids nodded and started for the door, muttering their goodbyes.

"If you ever need anything," Sophie called out.

She smiled at their retreating backs, hoping they would take her up on her offer if they truly needed anything at all. She didn't like imagining what was going on the young children's lives. After all, they really were only kids.

Sophie returned to her papers at her desk, shuffling through them, when thoughts of Snape came to mind. He was really coming along nicely, if she did say so herself. No, he was not necessarily kind to her or anyone else, but he was starting to be more open about talking to her. She did not have to push so much to get him to have normal conversations with her anymore.

The question that plagued her was 'why did he suddenly take an interest in her'. Maybe it was just her persistence that was getting to him, but she didn't really believe that. Then again, maybe he wanted to pacify her and get her to shut up. Perhaps he actually liked her.

It almost made her laugh, but she sobered immediately after. Why should him liking her company make her laugh? Because he was the cruel Potion's Master of the dungeons? Because she wasn't nearly intelligent enough to keep up with him? Because he never liked anybody? Maybe he liked her because she didn't expect anything from him and she kept coming back.

She brushed the thought off, of course he didn't like her. Not yet. Sophie knew she would just have to continue to try and get closer to this man and take the opportunity he had given her by talking to him as much as she could.

Sophie knew that she shouldn't think about trying to pry into the Potions Master's life. If he didn't really want to talk to her, she should just leave it be. But, there was something about him, the fact that he was always alone, that made her want to be on his side. Simply because it seemed no one else was.

Dinner soon came and the young professor found herself seated beside the most feared in the school. He was scowling at his plate, as if trying to kill it again. Sophie was not deterred by his apparently grouchy mood.

"Good evening, Professor Snape," she greeted with a smile as she took her usual seat to his left.

The professor did not reply, but his glower seemed to darken.

"And how was your day? You didn't come to lunch," Sophie stated, looking up at the man expectantly.

Snape stabbed a piece of his roasted chicken with his fork, nearly snarling, but not answering.

Sophie did not take the not-so-subtle hint, "Apparently not great. What did they do this time?"

She knew from past experience that the professor's classroom stories, though not always the child's fault, were fun to listen to. His ranting about the 'dunderheads' in his classes invoked sympathy and also amusement inside her and she hoped to spark another rage about what 'that abominable fifth year did this time!' or 'those accursed first years did now!'.

Her attempt to distract him backfired horribly.

Snape turned on her with a vicious snarl and a glare aimed to kill, "Ms. Roe, how my day goes and what goes on during it is my business and mine alone. I believe I've told you this before. I am trying to eat my dinner peacefully and undisturbed. If you cannot leave me alone, I will be forced to have the elves send something to my room and request a change in the seating arrangement immediately."

Sophie's eyes widened and she swallowed back the shock his reaction created.

"Do I make myself clear?" Snape sneered, as though reprimanding one of his students.

The young witch nodded, "Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Her sentence trailed off as the professor raised an eyebrow, reminding her of his words. She fell silent and stared down at the table rather dejectedly. And her thoughts not an hour before had been so hopeful. Now they were back to where they'd started.

Beside her, Snape sighed heavily and pushed his food around his plate, taking a few small bites. He said no more.

Sophie sat sadly in silence until Professor Flitwick arrived and took his seat at her left jovially. His presence reminded her that she was the happy-go-lucky professor and nothing was supposed to get her down. His sudden angry attitude really couldn't change her own mood too much. Why should it at all? She didn't need his approval and he certainly wasn't looking for hers.

A smile settled on her features once more as Sophie greeted her favorite Charms professor.

"Good evening, Professor Flitwick," Sophie said, turning to the tiny man.

He grinned widely up at her and replied with his own, "Good evening to you too, Sophie! And how has your day been? The fifth years are not giving you too much trouble?"

Sophie wondered to herself if Snape was listening. If he was, she hoped he was realizing that he'd just overreacted to her questions. Flitwick was asking the same of her now.

"It's been pretty good, over all. The fifth years are wonderful! There's not much to complain about there," she told him.

"Good, good," the tiny wizard replied. "You're still going to see Sprout tonight, yes?"

Sophie nodded, "Yes. We're going back into the forest as well."

Another smile spread across her face. For some reason, she was always extremely excited to go into the forest. And tonight, Sprout had said they would split up.

Flitwick smiled in response, "Good for you. Sounds like fun, I would love to join you someday, but I have too much business to attend to. Grading papers, tutoring, Head of House duties, choir practice, decorating the school, and rounds, there really isn't much time for anything else."

The young woman sighed in sympathy, she felt bad that she was not included in the responsibilities of the other professors. They must resent her for all of the extra time she had to go out and spend with Sprout, staying out however late she pleased.

"That must be exhausting," Sophie stated.

"Oh, no! It's quite fun! I've volunteered for half of it so that I won't get bored," Professor Flitwick replied easily.

Sophie laughed, his long list of activities didn't sound like much fun to her when he'd stated it in that monotonous tone, but now he seemed to be defending it. Of course he had fun doing it. He was a Ravenclaw after all and they were known to be a tad eccentric at times.

"You should come by one day," the man offered. "To choir practice. You had a wonderful voice when you were in school. I'm sure the children would love it."

"Oh no, I couldn't," Sophie declined, shaking her head.

Flitwick placed a hand on her arm as he tried to persuade her, "Come on now, it really wouldn't be that bad, would it?"

The young witch continued to shake her head, "No. I can't. I don't sing anymore."

"Come on! You would have fun!"

"I'm sorry, I can't," Sophie replied.

The Charm's professor sighed in defeat, "I'll give up for now."

Sophie smiled again, "Thank you."

It seemed she had missed the 'for now' part. But for the moment it didn't matter because the Charms professor went on to change the subject, happily digging into his food.

More than once, Sophie glanced out of the corner of her eye at Snape. She was curious what had caused his awful mood, but she knew better than to question him again. Dinner passed by fairly quickly after Flitwick agreed to stop questioning her about choir and before she knew it, she was rising to head toward the greenhouses.

Sophie excused herself from the Head Table and slipped from the Great Hall through the professor's entrance. Most of the school was finishing their meals as well, leaving in small groups. She threw a look toward the Potter boy before she exited, wondering how he was doing. From her small glance, she gathered that he was not much better than he had been when she spoke to him.

The cold was something that Sophie was not used to. She loved the snow, everything about it, except for the fact that it was freezing. If snow could fall and not be cold, she would be in heaven, but as it was, Sophie preferred to stay indoors when it was winter. There were only a few occasions when she enjoyed being outside during this particular season. This was not one of them.

Above her, the sky was dark, and Sophie shivered, pulling her cloak closer to her. She didn't bother with heating charms anymore; they were really too much hassle when she would arrive at the burning hot greenhouse in only a minute.

A smile flew across her features for a fleeting moment as she thought about going into the forest. For some reason, the forbidden place just called to her and she was never happier than within the depths of the trees of Hogwart's woods.

Professor Sprout greeted her as Sophie slipped into the greenhouse alone.

What neither woman knew was that Sophia Roe was not quite as alone as they believed. Professor Snape had watched as the witch left the Great Hall and then waited the appropriate time until he felt he could leave without raising any doubt as to where he was going. Of course, he should have been headed down to his office, retreating to the dungeons for the night like the bat he was. Rather than the expected, though, Snape trailed behind the young professor at a safe distance.

There was no pride in what Snape was doing. He knew that this was something only a creep would do and she would be horrified and disgusted to learn that he was watching her without her knowledge, but he also knew he would never consent to allowing him to accompany her. And he didn't want to accompany her; that would require conversation and an effort to be polite. This way, he could just keep quiet and keep an eye on her without any of the necessary discussion.

He watched as Sophia walked into the greenhouse, feeling the disgust at himself deep in the pit of his stomach. Snape tried to justify it to himself as he waited for her to come out again, glaring darkly at the building that she had just entered.

Of course, he was only trying to protect the girl. She'd already been attacked in the forest and to go back was foolish. She would never listen to him if he told her to stay away and it might just make her even more eager to go into the woods. Really, he was only doing this for her safety.

But why did he care about her safety? The thought tickled the back of his brain. Why should he care if she went and got herself killed within the forest? It was really only her fault if she did. Hers and Sprout's as well. There was absolutely nothing to connect himself to the girl if she decided to do something stupid. Why should he mind if she made a foolish mistake?

Somehow, Snape knew he did mind. He found himself wanting to watch over her, to protect her and make sure nothing happened to her. He wanted to be positive of her safety. For reasons unknown to him, he would be very upset if Sophia Roe died or was seriously injured. In fact, just slightly injured would probably bother him as well.

Snape cast a heating charm around himself, his magic crackling the air around him and the snow melted a little before he forced it too cool off some. His thoughts were overwhelming him and he needed to shove them back into their rightful places if he wanted to be in complete control once more.

Sophia exited the greenhouse only moments later. Tonight he found that she was alone and confidently striding across the grounds without that careless mentor of hers. Snape's eyes narrowed and he found his mood growing darker with the knowledge that the older professor was going to just let the young woman off into the Forbidden Forest by herself.

Taking long, silent strides, Snape followed Sophia through the snow and into the woods. The ground gradually became dirt once more as the trees grew denser. Their proximity was nearly claustrophobic, but the Potion's Master had been in worse environments than this one. It did not bother him.

Hidden in the trees, Snape silently watched as Sophia searched the ground. She was quiet as she worked, her eyes darting up every once and a while to scan the trees and make sure nothing was there. Somehow, she missed him every single time.

Snape was able to take this time to consider the girl before him. Really, he should not be thinking about this at all. She was his colleague and much too bright and happy for him, but he knew there was something different about this witch. There had to be a reason he wanted so much to protect her, after all.

Sophia was crouched now, gathering a plant that Snape could not see to identify. She worked almost noiselessly, breathing softly in the quiet of the night. Moonlight shined through the leaves of the trees and illuminated her just enough for him to make out the details of her features.

He already knew she was pretty, but at the moment he could not help but admit that she was utterly breathtaking. The moon's light lit up her peaceful face, high cheekbones and a defined chin. Her nose and lips were not large, but they weren't small either. They fit her face well. Though he couldn't see them clearly, he knew her eyes were big and bright blue – always curious and happy to see him. Pulled up on the top of her head in a high pony tail, her hair hung in loose curls, a red-blonde color.

Sophia stood and he was able to see that she was average height, maybe a little short. The moon lit up her face again and he could see the paleness of her skin, a white color that actually did not seem unnatural or unhealthy on her.

There was no question as to if she was attractive or not. Of course the woman was beautiful, but Snape did not understand what was drawing him to her. It wasn't as if looks had ever mattered to him before and he knew that they still did not.

How could he be losing his control over himself and not even know why? But there was a reason, he knew, one that would be vanquished as soon as she learned anything about him, as soon as she spoke to any other person outside of the castle walls. And that was the fact that she was the only person in the entire school to look at him and be happy. She was the only person in the entire world who wanted to know about his day and didn't ask any more from him than that. She didn't want to manipulate him or use him. She just wanted to be there and she didn't look at him with the same look of fear and mistrust as all of the others did.

She was the only person in the entire world who did all of that. Snape didn't want to lose it, even if he barely even had it.

The sound of her voice startled him and for a moment he was worried she had discovered him hiding in the trees. Then Snape heard the melodic tone, the soft lilt to her words, the musical quality to her voice, and he realized that she was singing. Wasn't it just today that she was telling Flitwick she didn't want to sing in front of anybody? Now she was doing it unknowingly for him and he felt only slightly guilty for intruding.

Words fell softly from her lips and Snape found himself entranced. Her voice was amazing. He watched her as she moved from the ground and around the woods once more. Soundlessly, he followed in the darkness.

When she was done, Snape followed Sophia from the forest. Her bag was full with the herbs she'd collected and she moved quietly out of the trees. Her footsteps were not nearly as soft as his, though. Compared to him, she was stomping through the woods.

Sophia was still singing, her voice hushed, but steady. The certainty there was nearly unnerving and for a moment he wondered where her emotion came from, because he could feel the intensity behind her words. Surely, with how happy she always was, there couldn't be any way that such darkness had touched her. Then again, Dumbledore had told him there was a story behind it all.

As the girl stepped out of the woods and into the direct sunlight, Snape watched with a softened look on his face. What had happened to her? But now was not the time to be thinking about such things.

Sophia started in the direction of the greenhouses and Snape deemed her safe enough to leave on her own. The grounds should be alright. Severus headed toward the castle, blending into the night, his robes billowing around him, inky and dark.

The heat of the castle swallowed him as Snape made his way back to the dungeons and his own room. Many thoughts swirled around his mind, clouding his brain. There was so much to think about.

Snape dressed in his nightclothes and lay down in bed as the answerless questions swarmed his consciousness. He closed his eyes and sighed, pushing all of the thoughts from his forefront of his mind and behind the barriers he'd created for all of the distractions of the world. For now, he would lock away his curiosity in return for a half-way decent night's sleep.

Behind his eyelids, Snape didn't see just blackness. As if he was still there, he could make out the image of Sophia crouching near the trees, the moonlight shining on her face just right. He could hear her voice singing ever so softly into the darkness and felt a sense of comfort like he hadn't since he couldn't remember when.

While her voice played in his head, he imagined that she knew he was there and she was singing to him and Snape was at peace. That night, Severus Snape, greasy git of the dungeons, had the best night of sleep he'd gotten in years.


	10. Chapter 10

The weekend came quickly on Sophie's part. This was the final weekend before Christmas break and Sophie was enjoying teaching more than ever. She felt like she was getting closer to the students and her trips into the Forbidden Forest were more fun than she had ever imagined.

The mysterious Severus Snape was just as rigid and stoic as he'd ever been, but Sophie felt like there was something there. He didn't push her away. He didn't sneer at her as much as the other professors. And he seemed to relax in her company. But maybe that was just her seeing things where they weren't.

It was Saturday morning and a Hogsmead weekend. Sophie was one of the many teachers who were chaperoning this month and as she got dressed in her room, she pulled on her warmer cloak and a green scarf. Her hair covered her ears, a wavy mass of blonde. She paused in the mirror just long enough to make sure she did not look ridiculous before she left for the gates.

Outside, all she could see was the blur of white snow and large masses of black robes. The entire castle seemed to be leaving for the day. Everyone was pressing toward the large gates, talking excitedly and Sophie joined them, her eyes scanning the crowds.

A few professors stood on the sidelines, but another handful was doing the same as she was, huddled in with the rest of the school. It wasn't long until she came along Madam Hooch, who nodded a greeting.

"Professor Roe," the stern woman greeted.

Sophie smiled, "Madam Hooch. Have all of your shopping done for the holiday?"

The older woman shook her head, "I've got a few things left. I'll be getting those before I head to the Three Broomsticks for something warm to drink. You have yours done, then?"

Sophie shrugged, "You could say that."

Madam Hooch didn't press the matter and instead surged through the crowd and out of the gate, starting the trek to the wizarding town and leaving Sophie on her own once more. The younger witch had no problems with this, finding that the flurries of snowflakes were enough to entertain her. She was soon at the back of the group, watching the students, but with half her mind elsewhere.

When her eyes finally landed on something, it was the black, billowing robes of the Potion's Master. He was stalking down the road alone, off to the side of the children. A few times, he snapped at them and they retreated only to be more obnoxious than they had been before.

Sophie decided now was as good a time as any to strike up a discussion with the man and she skipped to his side with a grin.

"Professor Snape!" Sophie said once she was a step behind him.

The Potion's Master turned his head back marginally to look at her, "Ms. Roe."

"Have any more shopping before the holidays?" Sophie questioned him with a bright smile.

Snape sneered down at her, his black eyes cold, "I don't do Christmas shopping."

His harsh tone and icy gaze did nothing to deter the young witch, "Yeah, it is a pain sometimes. It's so hard to get something a person will actually like."

"I wouldn't know," Snape stated indifferently. "I assume you're going home for the holidays, then?"

He was surprised when Sophie shook her head and replied, "No. I'll be here. What about you?"

"I will be remaining here for the holiday. There is no reason for me to leave," the Potion's Master stated.

Sophie peered up at the dark man, "No family?"

Snape shook his head, "My parents passed years ago. I was their only child."

"I'm sorry," Sophie said.

She was surprised when he nearly growled back at her, "Don't be."

Severus Snape was angry at himself. Why had he told her so much? He didn't need her pity. He didn't want it. Stupid girl, prying into his life and then looking down on him when he admitted the slightest thing.

They walked in tense silence for a few moments and Snape wanted nothing more than to be rid of the young professor.

"My parents died too," Sophia whispered and Snape just barely caught it.

The Potion's Master looked down at her in surprise and found that her eyes had a faraway sadness about them, though they were downturned. For once, she didn't appear to be unnaturally happy and Snape was shocked to discover that this unnerved him. What was more unnerving was that he wanted to help her.

As they continued through the snow, the silence prevailed. Snape didn't know what to say, and further, he didn't even know if he really wanted to. The inner battle raged, but on the surface he was as cold as the ice under their feet.

Sophie was the first one to speak, smiling up at the professor. While he was quiet, she was thinking too, but her parents had been dead for some time now and she wasn't as overcome by the pain anymore. She pushed it to the back of her mind in favor of a sunnier attitude.

"So what will you be doing in Hogsmead, then?" Sophie questioned, her bright eyes staring up at Snape.

He looked back down at her to see that her grin was firmly planted on her face, her eyes showing nothing but happiness and curiosity. Immediately alarms went off in his head. Someone who switch personalities could only be doing one thing, hiding something. Obviously there was the pain, but turning off your sadness so quickly normally came with practice. What was she hiding?

"Obtaining a corner of the Three Broomsticks and drinking a glass of firewhiskey before going out and assigning detentions to those students who can't follow rules, Mr. Finnegan!" Snape snarled.

The dark man swept over to the laughing boy and grabbed him by the collar of his robes, pulling him back onto the road from where he'd been attempting to sneak off into the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Sophie couldn't see why he would ever want to do that, but then noticed his friends gawfing a few feet away.

"And just where do you think you were going?" Snape questioned, his face close to the fifth year's.

Seamus stuttered senselessly, gesturing with his hands, "Well…uh, you see, Professor.."

"Ten points from Gryffindor and detention Monday evening, Mr. Finnegan. And I shall expect a three foot scroll on why the Forbidden Forest is off limits and why we obey rules on my desk at that time," Snape stated.

The boy slumped, but nodded his head, "Yes, Professor."

His friends were still laughing loudly as Snape tossed his robes away from him and started down the road once more, Sophie hurrying to catch up with him.

"Another ten points from Gryffindor for encouraging him," the Potion's Master stated as he walked by, his voice cool and collected as if nothing had happened.

Sophie stared up at the professor in awe. She'd never seen anyone treat the students that way and though it was a bit unorthodox, it seemed to work just as well as anything else. She was sure they wouldn't try that stunt again, at least not when people were around to see.

"Get on with it," Snape said, his voice coming from nowhere.

Sophie looked up in surprise, "Get on with what?" She was genuinely confused as to what he was talking about.

"The scolding for treating them that way, for taking so many points," Snape sneered. "Whatever else bothered you so much about my disciplinary style?"

"Oh!" Sophie replied. She hadn't even thought of saying anything against him.

Severus Snape turned and raised an eyebrow.

Sophie shrugged, "I don't have anything to say."

His eyes showed that he didn't believe her.

"No, really! I don't have a problem with the way you handled the problem. It was your call. It's how you deal with them, I can't tell you what to do. They obviously respond," Sophie stated.

Snape did not respond and continued to walk in stony silence. Perhaps she was lying and simply trying to flatter him – for what he had no idea – but maybe she really meant what she said. Maybe she was telling the truth and his mean exterior really didn't bother her. He didn't know why someone as kind as he wouldn't have a problem with him, though.

The two were quiet as they made their way to the wizarding town. The children picked up the pace once in sight of it and Sophie and Snape were left watching as they took off toward the shops and stores.

Sophie looked up at Snape and a smile settled on her features once more.

"Well, I've got some shopping still to get done," she told him. "I'll see you around? Maybe you wouldn't mind letting me follow you some more, later?"

Snape could only stare coolly at the young witch before him, why would she want to spend any time with him? But then again, maybe she was only being nice and trying to get away from him, making promises she obviously wouldn't keep. He didn't know her to be like that, though, but he didn't think too much about what she said. He wouldn't hold her to it if she found that later she really didn't want to be with him.

"Perhaps," Snape stated, his deep voice controlled so that no emotion either way showed.

Sophie smiled brightly at this, as if he'd told her he would love it if she found him after she was done shopping.

"Then I'll catch up with you later," she said.

With that, Sophie bounded off, skipping toward the Hogsmead shops like a muggleborn third year. Snape rolled his eyes and continued toward the Three Broomsticks, where he planned to stay for at least half an hour to get out of this cold and to put some well-deserved alcohol into his body.

Sophie slid into the warmth of one of the shops of Hogsmead. The store was dark and magical trinkets and books lined the walls. She decided she would start here to look for the last of her Christmas gifts.

Old quills, odd books, eccentric clothing, sat on the shelves as Sophie searched for the perfect thing for each person. The place was quiet; she was perhaps the only person in the store.

"Can I help you?"

Sophie screamed, jumping in fright as she spun around to see the owner of the voice. An old witch stood just a few inches away from her body, waiting for an answer. Sophie took the seconds in which she caught her breath to look her over.

The witch had to have been at least 100 years old. Her hair was thick and grey, messily sticking out all around her face, which was wrinkled and slightly sagging. Her eyes were nearly crazed, a strange greenish-yellow color. She had a hunch in her back, though she still stood as tall as Sophie did. In the dim lighting it was difficult to make out, but she wore purple robes, accented by yellow crescent moons.

As the woman raised her eyebrows, Sophie swallowed and looked down at the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not really sure what I'm looking for," Sophie said quickly, stumbling over her words in her nervousness and embarrassment.

The witch nodded and rasped, "Of course. Christmas is coming soon. Anything in particular you're looking for?"

She gestured to the items on the shelves behind her and Sophie suddenly realized how sinister they all seemed.

"No, I'm just looking," Sophie replied, feeling uneasy and edging toward the door.

"Let me show you around, show you what we have," the witch said, putting her hand on Sophie's back and leading her further into the shop.

The younger witch had no choice but to follow, finding her eyes landing on darker items now that she was looking. Skulls, small skeletons – was that one a pixie? – eyeballs, and other odd things were placed in the strangest places, mixed with all of the regular things. It was nearly a half hour until Sophie was finally able to get away from the ship and its crazy owner.

Outside in the freezing cold, Sophie found that this was better than the warmth of the dark shop any day. She wandered down the crowded street, trying to erase the things she'd seen from her mind. Snow fell around her in large gusts and flurries, landing in her hair and covering her dark robes. She couldn't help but smile happily.

The next shop she went in, Sophie found herself checking to make sure it wasn't lined with dark objects and was relieved to find it was quite normal. She scanned the items on the shelves, finding some of what she needed and then moving on to the next place. None of the stores she went in were quite like the first one.

Snape stepped inside the warmth of the building and immediately heard the sound of a thousand voices chatting animatedly, he smelled the usual food and butterbeer, and he saw the crowds of people sat at tables and on stools up at the bar. Madam Rosmerta was bustling about, busy as ever with all of the students trying to warm up after their long walk in the snow from the castle.

Snape started toward the bar with his infamous gate, robes billowing behind him, crowds parting on either side. No one wanted to mess with the cruel Potion's Master. He was just fine with that. The company of students would only make him frustrated and angry, other professors were just intolerable. No, he would rather sit by himself somewhere.

"Firewhiskey, Rosmerta," Snape said to the harried witch when she turned to him.

The woman nodded and filled a glass before handing it over and turning to the next person. Snape laid the money on the counter and walked off to find himself a suitable corner where he could sit and brood in peace.

What a mystery, that Sophia Roe. He was learning more about her every day, but it wasn't enough. Why was she so happy? What were the secrets that Albus kept talking about? So her parents had died, was recently or a long time ago? Was that her only secret or was there more?

There was so much to think about her and Snape didn't know where to start. Logically, he knew that he shouldn't be starting anywhere. He should just be giving up and forgetting about her like he did to everyone else. He should be ignoring her and pushing her away before she got too close and he knew that he couldn't afford for anyone to be close enough to even be considered getting too close.

The problem with Sophia was that she just kept pulling him back. It was like a magnetic force was drawing him to her in a way that he'd never been drawn to anyone else before, like a spell was cast on him and he'd never even detected it. Snape briefly considered this possibility, but quickly brushed it aside. He would know if anyone cast a spell on him like that.

Honestly, Snape knew he had to just get over his curiosity and forget about her. He should ignore her like he did to everyone else and remember to focus on his mission. His mission!

It wasn't as if he'd forgotten about it, because he hadn't – he'd been called to the Dark Lord's side enough times not to have forgotten – but it had slipped his mind for a few moments and that was something he never expected. Sophia Roe made him stop thinking about his guilt. She made him forget that he was fighting a war with impossible odds and even less of a chance of his coming out of it alright.

He wasn't stupid. Snape knew that he didn't have much hope of seeing the end of the war. There was always the possibility of the Dark Lord discovering his indiscretions and if he did then he'd be worse than dead. Even if he didn't find out, there was always the chance that he might stop being useful and be more in the way than anything else and he would be disposed of. And even if that didn't happen and Harry Potter won the war, then no one would ever look at him the same. He was a Death Eater, a traitor, a murderer. There would always be other Death Eaters out for revenge and it would be a miracle if he made it out of Azkaban and he would deserve whatever punishment came his way.

And she made that all go away. Sophia made him forget his impending doom and the weight that was on his shoulders. She made him forget that there was nothing ahead of him. For that, she was worth keeping around a million times over.


	11. Chapter 11

When she had finished the last of her Christmas shopping and had shrunk all of her purchases and placed them in her bag, Sophie set out to find Severus Snape. The snow was still coming down in flurries of white and the wind whipped at her face, enough to make her ears and nose instantly red.

All around her, students were laughing and talking as they entered and exited shops. Candy, practical jokes, and school supplies were being bought and Sophie bet that this was the most business Hogsmead got out of the entire year. Everywhere she looked, there were people and she didn't know where to start looking for the dour Potion's Professor.

Sophie decided to just start walking. Surely she would come upon him at some point. In the meantime, she could probably do her job and make sure that no one was getting into trouble. Kids as young as thirteen wandered aimlessly by themselves and Sophie knew that though they didn't believe it, these were dangerous times.

Many of the students stopped to say hello to her or waved as they passed. Sophie smiled at each of them and continued walking, her hands in her pockets to keep them warm.

It was just as she was headed in the direction of the Three Broomsticks for something warm to drink that she spotted the man she'd been looking for. He was standing across from a quill shop, a scowl on his face as he glared at the passing teenagers.

Sophie bounded up to the man, finding herself smiling genuinely and widely up at him. His facial expression expressed nothing except the usual boredom, but she thought she could see a lightening in his eyes as she came to stand before him.

"Professor Snape!" Sophie exclaimed.

Snape raised an eyebrow, probably at her foolish, hyper behavior and he replied with an indifferent, "Ms. Roe."

"I told you I'd come and find you after I finished shopping!" she said, with just too much excitement.

Snape nodded, "So you did."

"Do you mind if I walk with you?" Sophie asked, hoping that he would not say no.

"Haven't we already had this discussion?" Snape questioned back.

Sophie shrugged, "But you never gave me a definitive answer, so I thought I'd ask."

She looked up at him with expectant eyes, so wide and trusting and Snape sighed, as though exasperated.

"If you must," he answered.

Snape started to walk down the road and Sophie followed happily. She was like a puppy blindly trailing after him, but he didn't really mind all that much with her. At least she was semi-intelligent to go along with her peppiness.

"So you're staying here for the holidays," Sophie stated and Snape wondered if he'd spoken too soon.

He sneered as he replied, "Yes."

"I was wondering if there were any specifics behind that," Sophie questioned. "Like, do teachers make rounds, or are we encouraged to make an appearance at meals, or anything like that?"

"No," Snape answered shortly, though he was relieved that she wasn't making some comment on his not going to see family or anything as absurd.

"Oh, good," Sophie sighed. "I really didn't want to think about getting up early every morning for breakfast. I want to sleep in this year."

They walked in relative silence, occasionally one of them commented on something, but it was generally quiet. Between the two of them, the professors spoke to nearly every one of the students in Hogsmead. On Snape's end, it was to scowl and take house points. Sophie usually smiled and greeted them.

It wasn't long until they were rounding up the kids and making their way back to the castle.

"Looking forward to Christmas, then?" Sophie asked as they started the long walk.

Snape shook his head, "More like the emptiness of the castle, the peace and quiet I'll be able to get when there aren't foolish students wondering about."

Sophie smiled widely, "Sounds lovely, but what's the fun without a little noise?"

"There won't be any interruptions while I work on my potions," the professor stated.

"I guess that would be a good thing," Sophie replied. "But I think I'll miss everybody. I'm going to be bored without anyone to talk to."

Snape didn't know what to say. He didn't want her to think he was available for her to come to and he didn't really do the whole 'consoling' people thing well.

"Will you still be working with Pomona?" he asked, killing two birds with one stone by not only finding something intelligent to say, but also learning whether or not he'd have the chance to follow her into the forest over the break.

He felt like a creep for even thinking such a thing, but he knew it wasn't really like that. He just wanted to make sure she was safe, since no one else seemed to care. There was also that little fact of being able to see her without forcing the small talk and he got to listen while she sung to herself. Secretly, he hoped she would continue.

"Yes, I think so," Sophie replied, looking up at the man who had just willingly volunteered information and then also participated in a normal, pleasant conversation. She wished she could see more of this side of the man, but she also knew that this was a lot more than other people got and she should be thankful that he was even dignifying her with responses.

Snape nodded, "Then you'll have something to do while everyone's away."

Sophie sighed, "I suppose. It's not the same, though."

The Potion's Professor rolled his eyes and wondered what the problem was. Students being away was normally a happy time for all of the teachers, even the most dedicated of them. Even the ghosts were relieved to get free time and the Headmaster had plenty to do without being too bothered with the absence of his entire school.

They arrived back at the castle behind the students just in time for dinner. Filch was at the gates, counting each and every person passing, scowling all the while.

"Mr. Filch," Sophie greeted as she passed.

"Professor Roe," he replied, his tone polite.

Snape did not say a word to the squib as he passed, instead thinking about the odd way he had reacted with Sophia. Did she really willingly talk to him? And pleasantly as well? He wondered if she realized who this man was or what he would love to do to every student that walked by him.

But as they walked silently side-by-side, Snape remembered that she was walking next to him. She had no problems being seen out in public with him, she didn't mind talking to him, and she didn't seem to care that he was a former Death Eater. He'd known that she was open and was happy, liking nearly everyone, so why was it a surprise that everyone included Argus Filch?

"Sophie!" someone called.

Snape was stopped beside the girl as she turned and caught sight of the person calling to her. It was Professor Flitwick, quickly walking through the crowds of students that were filing into the Great Hall. Severus wondered why the little man didn't just wait until they were seated; they did sit next to each other, after all.

"You're needed, in the hospital wing," he heaved, breathing deeply. "And you might want to go too, Professor Snape."

Both Professors nodded, immediately hurrying up to the hospital wing to see what happened. They could hear the chaos before they could see it. There was loud crying, shouted cursing, and many hurried voices. The two rushed, finding a sick and horrifying scene.

Lying on a bed towards the center of the room was Seamus Finnegan, moaning loudly. A few of his friends were on the beds on either side of him. All of them looked pretty torn up, but Seamus was the worst. Blood was everywhere, covering his torso, head, and arms. The bed was soaked, red marring the once white sheets.

Madam Pomfrey was rushing about, doing as much as she could, but she was only one person. Even a witch can't do all that needed to be done at once. She relaxed only fractionally upon seeing Sophie and Snape arrive. They rushed up to her, waiting for their orders and to be filled in on what happened to the boys.

"Oh good, you're here," she cried.

"What happened here?" Snape asked.

Sophie looked around the room, still taking in the mayhem.

Other than the boys lying in hospital beds, there were other students milling about, looking frightened and talking rather loudly to one another. Other Professors were also doing nothing, but doing a decent job of making it look like something.

"Can you help me with them, Sophie?" the mediwitch asked, turning to her.

She immediately nodded, "Yes. Of course."

"I still haven't done even a regular scan on the last two boys…" the witch said.

Sophie nodded again, "I'll start with that."

Snape was gone, nowhere to be seen, but Sophie figured that Madam Pomfrey had given him a job and he was off somewhere working on that. Probably making some potion to help them, she guessed. But that was all the time she had to spend wondering on it. She set in to work, checking over each of the boys and attending to their wounds.

The first boy was a fifth year and a Hufflepuff, Kenny Thompson. He was in her class on Thursdays, Sophie realized. He was a nice boy, though what he really wanted was to impress and hang out with the cool kids. He would do anything to get a laugh out of his so-called friends.

His injuries weren't as awful as she'd thought they'd be. A broken arm here, a gash or two there, but there was nothing that would kill him.

She moved on to the next boy. A fourth year, Ravenclaw, named Joey Connor. His wounds were worse, but only marginally. A big gash on his forehead, which turned out to be large, but not deep, a broken ankle, a few broken ribs, and cuts and scrapes along his body. This would take a lot more Skele-Grow than just the broken arm would.

The last boy was another fifth year, a Gryffindor by the name of Dean Thomas. Sophie knew him to be Seamus' best friend. She saw them together in nearly everything they did.

He was a lot more messed up than the other two boys had been. For one, they had been conscious, and he was not. There was major blood loss, from what Sophie could see. There was a deep cut on the back of his head, along with lacerations down his arms and in his stomach. His arm was twisted in the wrong direction and so was one of his feet.

Sophie immediately set to work on setting the boy's bones and closing the superficial wounds he had. She was unsure about closing the bigger ones because she didn't know what had caused them and so she worked on the other boys and made sure the blood-flow was stemmed.

Madam Pomfrey was diligently fixing up Seamus, who was worse than all of the other boys combined. It looked like there was something seeping out of his wounds, Sophie realized, as Madam Pomfrey muttered spells above his body. And then she noticed something else, these injuries were very familiar. In fact, she'd had some that mirrored these earlier in the year.

Sophie gasped as she realized what exactly caused the boys to be here like this.

"What?" Madam Pomfrey asked, spinning around.

"Nothing, nothing," Sophie said quickly.

The mediwitch went back to work without a question, dutifully attending to the fifth year lying in her hospital bed.

Sophie stared at the boys in wonder. They had been attacked by an Acromantula.

It was a few minutes after that when Snape came running back into the room. He handed a few vials off to Madam Pomfrey who promptly turned to give Sophie more directions.

The young witch did as directed and went back to work on the boys, Kenny, Joey, and Dean. She poured a little of the potion in their wounds, knowing now that it was anti-venom and she was correct in not closing the bigger wounds. Dean was the only one who really needed it, but she put it on the other boys just in case.

Snape watched as she worked, finding himself surprised and confused. He hadn't known that Sophia knew this much about medicine and it was obvious that she knew quite a bit. The way she worked portrayed the comfort of someone who'd done it a thousand times. She knew what to do and when to do it for the correct result on instinct, without really thinking about it, the way he knew he was with potions.

How did she know all of this? And how had Pomfrey known to come to her for help?

Snape was filled with questions, but he stayed passively in the corner as his potion drew out the venom from each of the boys' wounds. Another Acromantula attack did sit well with him. They obviously weren't following their usual patterns. Perhaps it was Hagrid's absence, or maybe the leader was getting old, but whatever the cause, it wasn't good.

His eyes followed Sophia around the room as she took care of the fourth and fifth years. He had warned them about going into the forest. He specifically forbade them from going in there. Of course none of them listened. If they weren't in such critical states at the moment, he would take house points. As it was, he felt content to know he would be doing exactly that when they woke up.

When she did everything there was for her to do, Sophie came to stand next to Snape, feeling tired and weak. Working like that, hoping that everything went okay, took a lot out of a person and now she was remembering that she didn't get to eat dinner.

The people who were there when they arrived were now gone, off to their rooms for a good night's sleep and Sophie just wanted to do the same.

"How did you know what to do?" a voice asked.

Sophie looked up to find Severus Snape staring down at her, his eyes were a glittering black, brimming with curiosity and that usual hint of coldness.

"I wanted to be a mediwitch when I was younger," she answered softly.

He raised an eyebrow, "And what made you decide to work on potions at the Ministry then?"

Sophie smiled, it did seem like an odd switch to make, "I always liked potions better, but my mother wanted me to be a mediwitch."

"When did you finally decide to work in potions?" Snape asked. She was too comfortable with the position, Snape realized, to have only thought of becoming a mediwitch.

"Three years ago. I worked at St. Mungo's before that," she answered.

Snape nodded, this made more sense.

Sophie's stomach growled as she hugged around her waist.

"Hungry, Ms. Roe?" Snape questioned.

"We didn't get to eat dinner," she replied, looking up at him apologetically.

"A detour then, on the way to our rooms?" he asked, leading the way out of the hospital wing.

They were no longer needed and Pomfrey was now only cleaning up so they were free to go.

Sophie nodded enthusiastically.

Snape led them down toward the kitchens until they came to the fruit painting.

"Would you like to do it?" he asked, he always hated tickling the fruit.

She looked up at him curiously and Snape sighed, explaining what needed to be done.

The young witch grinned and did as told, giggling softly as the fruit did. The portrait swung open and they were immediately assaulted by house elves.

There were hundreds of them, wandering all about the large room. Sophie took them in, in awe of what she'd never guessed as beneath the Great Hall.

A house elf she recognized came bounding up, smiling widely.

"Miss Roe!" he called, standing before them.

Sophie smiled from ear to ear, "Dobby!"

"What is Miss Roe liking? Dobby will get it," the elf spoke.

"We are looking for something to eat," Snape said. "We have missed dinner."

Dobby bowed low at the waist, his long nose nearly touching the floor, "Dobby will get the Miss something to eat right away. And Professor Snape too."

He headed off into the crowd and they were immediately surrounded by elves asking if they wanted this or that. They were all eager to serve and to please and were immensely disappointed when they were turned down.

It was nearly an hour later when they were able to extract themselves from the chaos so they could finally get some sleep. Sophie didn't realize until they had gotten there that Snape had walked her to her room.

As she looked up at Snape, she felt an overwhelming emotion that she couldn't place, but she knew she had to express.

Slowly, Sophie leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, hoping that he would be okay with this. He didn't move a muscle, or make any kind of expression as she found herself back on her feet and looking up into his dark eyes.

"Goodnight," she said softly.

Snape nodded stiffly, "Ms. Roe."

With that, he turned on his heel and started back toward his rooms, the spot on his cheek tingling warmly where her lips had touched his skin.


	12. Chapter 12

Sophie did not see the potion's professor the next morning, but really that was more her fault than anything else. She didn't go to breakfast in the Great Hall, finding the urge to go up to the hospital wing stronger than the one to eat her first meal of the day. It was a good thing she did.

Madam Pomfrey was bustling about, already hurrying around the large room as the boys moaned and cried out. The mediwitch was digging through drawers, spelling things around the room, and trying to talk the boys into quieting down so she could 'think for just a moment about where she put that vial of Skele-Grow'!

Sophie rushed in to help, pausing the woman in her searches and she looked simply relieved at having the help she required.

"Ms. Roe!" Pomfrey cried. "If you could, please, there's a vial of pain reliever potion in that cupboard over there. You know the one? You had it when you were here."

Sophie nodded and rushed to get the medicine that would make the students feel at least a little better. All four of them were writhing in their beds and Sophie not only felt bad that they were in pain, but she also wanted them to stop giving her this massive headache!

The two women worked side-by-side in silence for most of the morning, tending to the boys' wounds without needing to consult the other. They were both skilled in the healing profession and trusted the other to do as was needed.

When the children's voices finally quieted and their pain had eased so that they could eat their breakfast, Madam Pomfrey turned to look at her assistant.

"I wasn't expecting you this morning, Sophie," the mediwitch commented.

Sophie grinned, "I was just checking on the boys to make sure their treatment was going according to plan. I didn't expect to find this."

Madam Pomfrey chuckled, "No, I did not expect this when I woke up either. Don't you have classes to be teaching?"

"No, we are having a day off thanks to all of this." She gestured to the students who were chatting quietly amongst themselves.

"I suspect they'll be getting quite a few points taken from each of their houses when they are well enough to run into Professor Snape," Poppy Pomfrey said.

Sophie laughed, "Oh, yes. He was so angry last night when we left. I'm sure if he thought he could get away with it, he would've taken points before he left."

Even as she said this, she was remembering the events of the night before. How angry the professor had been when he'd learned that these students hadn't followed orders. How he took her to the kitchens for dinner. How she'd kissed his cheek before he walked away…

She hadn't even gone to breakfast this morning! What must he think of her? If she was working for something with him, she should've been there this morning to gauge his reaction at least!

And was she starting something with him? She wasn't completely sure herself. Sophie wanted him to like her, she knew that, but how much farther did she want it to go? She didn't realize it when she went from wanting him to like her as a friend to wanting him to like her like that. But now that she thought about it, she did.

Madam Pomfrey chuckled, unaware of the inner turmoil of the woman sitting beside her.

"Well, I've got things to do and I'm sure you do as well," the mediwitch stated, starting toward her office.

Sophie nodded, "Yes, papers to grade and such."

They went their separate ways and Sophie wondered if she messed everything up by not being there this morning.

What she didn't know was that neither was Snape.

After the mayhem with the students, going to get dinner with Sophia, then her kiss, Snape had wanted to go and think in his own bed. Things never went as he would like them to go.

All day, he'd felt the Mark on his arm growing hotter, but there was no call yet. He'd only walked maybe thirty steps from the witch's door when it flared red and he knew he had to leave.

Snape rushed to his room, quickly switched robes and summoned his mask, then Disapparated from the spot with a pop!

He arrived outside gates that were very familiar to him and he knew he was once again at Malfoy Manner, where the Dark Lord had taken up residence. He wasted no time heading toward the opened gates and into the mansion where his master awaited.

And wait he did, though not patiently. The monster's eyes were red in his snake-like skull as he watched Snape enter the empty room.

"Ahh, Snape," the Dark Lord greeted upon his entry.

Severus Snape bowed, "My Lord."

"I had expected you sooner," the wizard said.

"There was business I had to attend to, my Lord. I had to get away before I could Apparate," Snape explained.

"Yes, your business with Dumbledore," the Dark Lord hissed. "Crucio!"

Snape fell to the floor without a sound, his body stiff, and his eyes unseeing. The pain lasted for an undeterminable length of time until the dark wizard released his hold.

The Dark Lord smirked, "You are a favorite, Snape. I won't deny it. You never make a sound."

Snape was already standing again, this having been one of the lesser levels of pain he knew his master could inflict. He'd been through worse, so he was fine to stand before the dark wizard now.

"You called, my Lord?" Snape asked.

The Dark Lord nodded, "Yess. The others could not help me with this. Only you are close enough to Dumbledore to know what exactly is going on inside of Hogwarts. You haven't checked in lately, Severus. I need to know what is happening with dear old Dumbledore."

Snape nodded, "Of course, my Lord."

It was at this point, he knew the Dark Lord would wish to see inside his mind. He would not want to hear it second hand, he would want to see it, so that no one could lie to him. Snape was prepared.

He looked up into the dark red eyes and pressed forward all of the memories that had nothing incriminating in them. There were talks and discussions about the Dark Lord's plans, the two talking about students, and of course what they were going to do about what they thought might be happening soon.

Next to none of it was real. Of course, it had actually happened, he couldn't have faked the memories well enough to trick the most powerful dark wizard alive, but this wasn't anything important to them. Snape and Dumbledore knew that everything they'd discussed could be thrown out the windows as soon as it was reported to the Dark Lord.

But the Dark Lord himself didn't know that. He believed his servant was faithful.

"Very good, Severus," the Dark Lord hissed as he looked down on his follower. "Dumbledore is a fool, as always."

Snape continued to look up at the wizard, looking as stoic as ever.

"But, I'm upset there wasn't more," the Dark Lord said.

Snape knew what was coming, but didn't try to defend himself in any way.

The dark wizard's mouth curled, "Crucio!"

Once again, Snape hit the marble floor, feeling his muscles contract and his brain fry. There was no pain like this, but Snape could endure. He had never made a peep before and he wouldn't start now.

He hid himself in his deepest memories, the ones locked in the farthest corners of his mind. There, he found her. Her face was there, smiling up at him, grinning and laughing. She was telling him that she didn't disapprove of his disciplinary actions; she was asking him if she could walk with him, she was working in the hospital wing. Her face was getting closer to his; her lips were on his cheek. He could almost feel the tingling sensation it had left.

Perhaps that was the tingling of his face, after it had jerked and his the floor, though. It seemed like forever until the Dark Lord released him from his curse.

His lips white and his jaw clenched tightly, he rose from the floor as he always did. His master was grinning maliciously, his red eyes evil.

"You have been such a help, Severus. But I do not need you if you do not give me information," the Dark Lord stated.

"Of course, my Lord," Snape replied.

The dark wizard smirked, "Tell Wormtail to bring in Nagini."

Snape bowed his head, knowing that this was his dismissal. He turned on his heel and retreated from the room with his Death Eater robes billowing out behind him.

The whimpering rat was waiting at the door when Snape exited and he raised his eyebrows as the man looked up expectantly.

"The Dark Lord wishes for you…"

The rat whimpered excitedly.

"To bring the snake," Snape finished.

Wormtail's eyes grew wide and his expression filled with sorrow, but Snape pushed passed him without another word. He couldn't stand to look at the creature for more than he was forced to.

Snape left Malfoy Mann without ever seeing the owners. Neither of them seemed to be about, but he didn't really mind. He wanted to get back to Hogwarts as quickly as possible. From the gates, he Apparated back into his rooms, one of the only places the Headmaster had allowed outside entry to, though no one knew that.

His face throbbed and his head pounded from the Crutiatus curse and hitting the stone floor. Snape entered his bathroom to get a look at the damage he would have to fix.

It wasn't as bad as he knew it could be. There was nothing he would have to see Madam Pomfrey for. Everything he needed to heal the wound was in his private stores, already made up and ready for occasions like this.

The large, red welt on his cheek was swollen horribly when Snape returned to the bathroom with the vials needed. He could just drink the potion that would stitch the skin back together, but it wouldn't help the swelling and there would be a huge bruise the next morning. No, even though he was feeling the exhaustion hit, he knew that applying the salves first and then drinking the potion would get the best results.

First, he would take the dark green salve to make the swelling go down. Snape had to be able to see what was wrong before he could fix it.

Then came the bright orange powder that would take away the bruising and heal the broken veins underneath the skin. No one would ever know anything happened.

Last, he drank the vile smelling purple potion. It closed the wound and lessened the roaring ache in his head to a dull throb. It was a special healing potion he'd created, specifically to help with the effects of the Crutiatus curse, but only he'd ever taken it. No one else needed to.

The effects of the potion came swiftly and with the wounds taken care of and the pain in his head gone; Snape now felt the overwhelming drowsiness hit him. Stumbling to bed, he tore off his robes and threw them on the floor to get later. In the meantime, he felt his eyelids grow heavy and sleep overtook him.

He didn't wake up until sunlight streamed in through his artificial windows. He lived in a dungeon, so they obviously weren't real, but they did help when he was supposed to wake in the mornings.

The potion he'd taken the night before had helped, but Snape could still feel the ache and he took some more just so he wouldn't have to deal with it all day as well as teaching. He knew that if he told the Headmaster about it and asked for the day off, he would be allowed, but he was better than that. He didn't need a day off when there was work to be done.

Already, Snape knew he'd missed breakfast so he summoned a house-elf to bring him a tray as he got ready for the day. It wasn't until the creature came back with breakfast and mentioned something about also doing this for the 'poor boys in the hospital wing' did Severus remember Sophia.

He was shocked that he'd forgotten something so important, though it really was an insignificant thing when looking at the big picture. Last night, had it only been the night before? Last night, Sophia Roe had kissed his cheek before he left her at her bedroom door. She'd kissed him! Of her own free will! And he hadn't shown up for breakfast the next morning.

Snape felt as if he'd purposely missed the morning meal. She must think he was a coward, too afraid to show his face. She probably thought he was hiding. He hated the thought, but there was nothing he could do about it. He'd have to set her straight at dinner, though.

Severus Snape nodded to himself. Yes, he'd just fix this all at dinner, or perhaps lunch. He just had to explain to her what happened and surely she would understand. It didn't even sound believable to himself, but he figured there wasn't anything he could think on it anymore. He'd figure it all out later.

Breakfast was soon finished and Snape knew he had to see the Headmaster before classes started to report back about seeing the Dark Lord. Dumbledore would want to know how everything went and he would want to discuss it. He quickly made his way to the old wizard's office to tell all he'd gathered, which really wasn't all that much.

Albus Dumbledore smiled upon seeing what felt like his son. His eyes twinkled behind his half-moon glasses as he ran a hand down Fawkes' back.

"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore said. "What brings you here this morning? Could it be the reason you weren't at breakfast this morning?"

Snape nodded, "I was summoned last night."

"And what did Tom want this time? I see you are unharmed, but I assume that is not by his doing, am I correct?" Dumbledore questioned.

"The Dark Lord wanted to know what was going on within Hogwarts, just a usual check-in of the school," Snape answered.

He placed the tip of his wand to his head and extracted the memories of the night before; placing them into a vial he retrieved from his robes. He handed them to the Headmaster.

"I will look at these when I get the chance, Severus," the older wizard stated. "Is there anything else you would like to discuss before you go?"

The old wizard had that look in his eye that everyone knew. It was the one that said he knew more than he was letting on. The one that made you wonder what he wasn't telling you and how exactly did he get that information. It had to be more than intuition.

"No," Snape replied as he stood from his seat.

Dumbledore nodded, "Very well then. Excellent job, Severus, as always."

Snape did not reply as he left the room.

Because she had no classes, Sophie spent the day in her office, leaving the door open in case anyone wanted to stop by. She decided to get ahead on grading papers and going over her lesson plans. No one knew when Hagrid would be back, so she continued to make them in advance.

Not much happened for most of the day, until right before lunch time. There was a small knock at the door and a very familiar 'hem-hem'. Sophie looked up to find Professor Umbridge was standing at the entrance to her office.

Sophie smiled, though she no longer felt the bubbly sensation she could normally pull off. She didn't like Umbridge, not one bit. There was something downright foul about the woman and she couldn't stand it.

"Come in, Professor," Sophie called, rising slightly, but not standing all the way. "Please, have a seat."

The toad-like woman made herself comfortable in one of Sophie's chairs and she thought to herself how she would have to Scrougify the thing afterwards.

"Can I help you?" Sophie asked, wondering why the woman would be here.

Umbridge smiled unpleasantly, "I'm sure you know by now that I'm in the favor of the Minister of Magic, himself."

Sophie nodded. Of course she knew, the entire castle had heard about it.

"Well as such a close friend of the Minister's I will be getting certain privileges around here soon," the woman went on. "And was hoping to let all of the teachers know that there will be some serious changes happening here at Hogwarts."

Sophie raised her eyebrows.

"Oh yes," the foul professor said. "I'm looking to get a background on as many of the professors as possible, but I can't seem to find anything about you. Why is that?"

"Excuse me?" Sophie asked. She was shocked that the woman had the nerve to question her like this.

"Yes, where were you last employed?" Umbridge asked.

"None of your business," Sophie replied.

Umbridge's eyes opened wider and she wrote something down on a clipboard Sophie had only just noticed.

"And what is your magical lineage?" the woman continued.

"Also none of your business!" Sophie felt like shouting.

"Hmm. And can you tell me –"

"I'm sorry," Sophie interrupted. "But you'll have to get out of my office; I've got a student waiting."

And there, at the door, was Harry Potter. He was shuffling about in the hall, looking unsure if he wanted to interrupt what was going on.

"That's quite alright," Umbridge said. "I was done anyway."

The toad-like woman stood and left the room, still writing things down on her little clipboard.

"You don't want to mess with her," Harry stated.

"I can handle her," Sophie replied. "Oh don't sit down there. Scrougify!"

Lunch came not too long after that and Sophie said goodbye to the young teenager. He seemed to be having a lot of trouble, but he wasn't really interested in telling her. He just wanted someone to talk to about the unimportant stuff, but Sophie didn't mind that.

She walked through the staff's entrance and over to her seat at the far end of the table, sitting in her spot beside the Potion's Master.

"I'm so sorry," she said as soon as she'd sat down. "I was in the hospital wing this morning."

Snape turned to the woman seated beside him, finding a smirk curling its way onto his face, "Oh? Well I happened to oversleep and miss the meal as well."

Sophie's frown quickly changed to a grin as she realized what happened.

"Oh thank goodness!" she sighed. "I was so worried I'd offended you."

A laugh bubbled in her throat as she quickly piled food onto her plate. She turned to the Potion's Master with a smile on her face and Snape thought there surely couldn't be anything on this earth that was more beautiful, but his face stayed indifferent.

Sophie continued to laugh wildly, bending over at the waist and Snape watched, feeling the pain in his head lessen even more as he fought the urge to grin.

What was she doing to him?


	13. Chapter 13

There was no talk of what happened the night before. It seemed after confessing to both of their missing breakfast, they didn't feel the need. They both felt guilty and they both admitted what happened and now they were good.

"So how were your morning classes, Professor Snape?" Sophie questioned, looking up at the man.

"Dreadful, at best," Snape replied.

Sophie grinned.

"And yours, Ms. Roe?" he questioned.

"Oh, I don't have any classes today because of the incident in the Forbidden Forest," she answered, smiling up at him.

Snape nodded, her eyes still twinkling up at him.

Lunch came and went as they exchanged a few more words, but nothing much. Snape listened as the witch beside him conversed with Flitwick, her laugh ringing in his ears.

"Yes," she replied to something the older professor said.

"Aren't you nervous after the attack on the boys?" Flitwick asked.

Snape paid extra close attention, beside him Sophie shrugged.

"Not really. I've already been attacked once myself, I'm always careful," she answered.

"Just watch your back out there, Sophie," the little wizard squeaked.

The girl laughed, "I will."

Lunch went by quickly and Sophie wondered what she would do for the rest of the day. She'd already graded papers and she didn't want to go back to that after she was done here. Already, she was sick of it.

"So, what classes do you have after lunch?" Sophie asked, looking up at Snape with wide eyes.

The Potion's Master looked back at her, his black eyes boring into her blue ones.

"Third year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, sixth year Gryffindor and Slytherins, then fourth year Gryffindor and Slytherins," he replied coldly.

Sophie nodded and went back to her food, pondering this. She looked up at Snape with wide, innocent eyes.

"Would you mind if I watched for an hour or two?" the young witch questioned, feeling rude for even considering it.

She looked down when the professor did not immediately answer her. Of course he would not want her in his classroom. He was teaching! Why would he let her sit in and watch?

"Sorry," she said softly, keeping her eyes on her cold lunch.

Snape looked down at the girl quizzically. The only reason anyone had ever wanted to come and watch him teach was to judge him in some way, but he knew this was not the case with Sophia Roe. He wasn't sure why he knew so positively that she didn't have any ill will towards him by asking, but he did.

He pondered it for a few moments. There wouldn't be any harm in having her watch the class. It wasn't like she was asking to brew any potions and besides, she had worked at the Ministry for some time. She must not have been awful.

"Which hours would be best for you?" Snape asked.

Sophie's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. Was he really willing to let her into his classroom?

"Well?" he pushed. "Lunch is almost over."

"You don't mind?" Sophie asked.

Snape sighed; feeling like this might be too much of a chore if she still hadn't answered him. Why couldn't she just let it go?

"I asked which hours would be best for you, Ms. Roe. Unless you would rather go back to your grading," Snape said.

Sophie shook her head, "Oh no! I was just worried that I'd offended you."

The Potion's Master raised an eyebrow, asking her the question once more, silently.

"Oh, sorry," Sophie replied, heat rising in her cheeks. "Um, I suppose after lunch? And then we'll see after that?"

Snape couldn't help but admire the blush that colored her face as she looked down at her food once more.

"If that's okay with you," the witch said quickly.

The professor nodded, "That's acceptable."

Sophie shot him a smile as her face slowly returned to its original color and she cleared her plate before it vanished from the table.

Snape stood, but waited for the girl beside him to do the same.

"Shall we?" he said, allowing her to walk before him.

She dipped her head shyly and started in the direction of the dungeons, where she knew the potion's classroom to be. It wasn't long before Snape was walking in front of her, annoyed with her slow gate and pressing onward quickly. Sophie hurried to keep up with him.

The class was cold and dark as they entered silently and it didn't get any better when Snape flicked his wand at the candles on the walls. They cast eerie shadows on the walls and Sophie wondered how anyone worked in such a space. The feeling was dark and mean.

"Have a seat in either the front seat or the back, Ms. Roe," Snape said. "No one sits there."

Sophie nodded and did as she was told, seating herself in the back of the room to get a view of what actually happened while the dark professor taught.

Slowly, the third years trickled in and they looked at Sophie with interest and hope in their eyes. She knew what they were thinking and so did Snape as he eyed them coolly. Sophie only hoped that the professor knew that she didn't wish to step on anyone's toes by being here.

The door slammed shut after the last child had been seated and Snape stormed to the front of the class, his robes flying behind him in his usual fashion. He glared down at the students before he began talking, his voice like silk as he gave instructions.

"Today we will be brewing a simple Strengthening Potion. The directions are on the board. You may begin," Snape stated.

As everyone began to move and gather their supplies, Snape spoke again.

"And if anyone thinks that Ms. Roe being here will provide you with any help or perhaps save you from my punishments, think again. Ms. Roe is a guest in my classroom and as such is here to simply observe, she will not be helping with any decision making," Snape stated. "You have forty-nine minutes."

Again, the class began to noisily collect their ingredients for their assignments.

Snape sat at his desk as they bustled about, until each and every one of them was settled. When they started to work, he rose from his chair, stalking about the room and looking over the student's shoulders as they worked. Sometimes, he would comment, cruel words leaving his mouth, but effectively saving the child's potion.

"No, that is not right, Ms. Greaux. You will have to start over. Five points from Hufflepuff. Evanesco!" he muttered.

The bubbling orange potion disappeared from its cauldron and the blonde-haired child sullenly started adding ingredients to it again. Snape quickly eyed the woman sitting in the back of his classroom, but she didn't seem disturbed by his disciplinary actions, In fact, she was eyeing another student's cauldron as if it would explode at any moment. And, now that Snape looked closer, it did seem as if it would.

The cold professor swooped over to the offending cauldron and quickly vanished it as the child looked up with wide, questioning eyes.

"Mr. Patterson, if you are having trouble, do not just go blundering on without a clue as to what you are doing. The potion you were creating was well on its way to exploding had I not gotten rid of it when I did so," Snape scolded. "Five points from Hufflepuff."

The boy sighed and his shoulders slumped, but he started throwing ingredients back into the cauldron without shame, destroying his potion within minutes after restarting it. But this time, it did not appear to be explosive and Snape let him work as he carried on his rounds through the room.

Most of the potions he looked at were dreadful at best, but although he made snide comments about nearly all of them, he didn't care to vanish anymore for the rest of the hour. About five minutes before the bell was to ring, he took a seat at his desk and surveyed the room before him, specifically, the witch observing.

She was not looking up, so Snape was free to stare as much as he liked, although he really only kept glancing instead of outright gawking at the girl. She didn't seem disgusted by his techniques; rather she sat quite comfortably in the chair which she had selected. Her red-blonde hair cascaded down passed her shoulders, wavy and long. Her blue eyes were downcast, but her lips held an amused smile. He wondered what she was thinking about.

Meanwhile, Sophie was thinking of the potion's professor. His demeanor didn't really change in the classroom, but there was something there. He loved potions; it was his life's work. He was also protecting these students by being so cross with them. Surely they wouldn't make the same mistakes after being yelled at like this. And their errors were dangerous! There were so many things that could go wrong in a potion's lab that he had to be cross with them if they came close to blowing themselves up. Not only would they hurt themselves, but they would hurt the children around them.

When the bell rang, each student rose and placed a vial of their potion on Snape's desk before hurrying from the classroom. Their voices could be heard, echoing down the hallway as they speculated on why their Care of Magical Creatures professor was sitting in their professor Snape's class, seemingly by her own choice!

"Is this an okay place for me to sit next hour?" Sophie asked, looking up at the professor.

He was moving the vials from his desk and onto a rack labeled 'third year H & R'. Severus Snape looked up, as if he'd forgotten that she was there.

"Oh, yes," he said. "That's fine."

Sophie nodded and relaxed back into her seat, wondering what sixth years would be like in comparison to the last class she'd seen. She knew her sixth years were great, but then again, so were her third years so she really couldn't guess.

The students filed in and Sophie caught sight of the Weasley twins, Fred and George. Right then, she knew this class would be interesting, no matter what happened. These were some of the funniest students she had, but they could also be a handful. She knew that she was really relaxed in her classes and she could hardly handle them and she wondered how Snape did it.

Everyone sat, silent and waiting instruction and Snape gave the same speech as the hour before, only changing the potion they'd be making. His comments on her were the same, as well. This did not bother her, though, she wouldn't interfere in his class and she figured he knew that.

Sophie watched as the Weasley's paired off, but was surprised to find that it wasn't with each other. Fred was working with Angela and George with Lee. Their picks were unsurprising, but the fact that they weren't together was. She knew they didn't often do anything without the other. Then she saw the reason why.

They were constantly whispering to each other, secretly talking while Snape wasn't looking. Their attempts at hiding their discussions were poor.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for talking while you are supposed to be working, Mr.'s Weasley," Snape said loudly. "From each of you."

The entirety of the Gryffindor class groaned while Slytherins snickered to themselves. Snape continued to walk about the room, peering into every cauldron he passed.

There was obvious favoritism towards the Slytherins, Sophie noticed as she watched the professor's interaction with his students. Sophie knew this caused quite a bit of discord between himself and the other professors. They didn't think it was fair that he showed obvious favoritism to his house, but the more Sophie thought about it, the more she saw the reasoning behind it.

Snape was Head of Slytherin house. Slytherins got a bad rap just for being in that house and didn't get nearly the same amount of praise or attention. The points they earned were solely based on what they got playing Quidditch or what he gave them. Most other professors didn't give Slytherin points.

Sophie knew the professors didn't mean to do it. They didn't even realize they were accidentally being unfair, but they were. It was only right that their Head of House did something about it, even if it didn't seem quite right in others eyes.

Sophie observed from the back of the room until class ended and then she stood and made her way over to the dark professor who was placing all of the vials on another shelf labeled for this class specifically.

"This has been fun," she said with a smile on her face. "Thank you for letting me observe for these last few hours."

Snape stood and looked down at the girl before him. He nodded, but didn't say anything, knowing she would continue to talk.

"I think I better be going now, I don't want you to get tired of me and then have to sit next to meat dinner too," she said with a laugh. "Thank you so much for letting me watch. Maybe we can do it again sometime."

Before he could say anything on that, though, she was nearly out of the door. She paused just inside of it, turning back to smile at him.

"See you tonight," Sophie called.

Snape nodded again, finding that he didn't need to say anything at all.

Then she was gone and Snape followed her path to the door, watching as his fourth years piled in, talking loudly. He was glad that they would be silent within a few minutes.

Sophie skipped down the hallway as students pushed passed her to potion's class. It was obvious that they didn't want to be late for Professor Snape. The witch grinned as they hurried through the halls, oblivious to who they were shoving by.

Out of the dungeons, the Headmaster was milling about, discussing something with a few fifth years that happened to be in her class. He looked up and his bright eyes twinkled knowingly at her as he excused himself from the students.

"Ah, Sophie, if you would accompany me up to my office, there are some things I would like to talk with you about," Dumbledore said.

Sophie nodded and walked at the old wizard's side up to the gargoyle statue that was the entrance to his office. Dumbledore gave the password, yet another sweet, and started up the winding staircase.


	14. Chapter 14

The Headmaster sat behind his desk and stared at her over his half-moon glasses as Sophie sat in the chair across from him.

"You wanted to talk to me, Headmaster?" she asked.

He smiled, "Yes. Some very important facts have come to my attention and I would like the chance to talk them over with you before I make any decisions about it."

Sophie wondered what he could possibly want with her, what he could ever want her thoughts on before making a decision.

"The Forbidden Forest," he started.

Sophie raised her eyebrows. She did know enough about this particular part of Hogwarts.

"It has come to my attention that you have stopped class around the forest after all of the incidents that have happened there," he stated.

Sophie nodded, "Yes, I have."

"I do not think this is completely necessary, unless it makes you more comfortable to conduct class indoors," Dumbledore went on. "As long as you are not venturing too far into the woods, I do not see why it should be so bad to have class outside. It is good for the students to get out while they can."

"I don't have a problem with it sir, I was just wondering about safety," Sophie replied.

"As long as one does not go into the woods alone, I do not think they shall be too badly harmed. And from what I can tell, our gatekeeper will be back from his vacation soon," the Headmaster stated.

Sophie thought about her nightly trips into the Forest, alone. She did not bring it up. She didn't want to be banned from this escape.

"I will notify my classes that Care of Magical Creatures will be held outside from now on," Sophie said, thinking now about the snow, another reason why she came into the castle.

Dumbledore smiled like he knew something she didn't, "Good. I think that is all."

Sophie nodded and started to rise from her seat.

"Would you like a lemon drop, Sophie?" Dumbledore offered as he popped one into his mouth.

The witch paused, thinking about it for a moment, then accepted before she left the office and headed back into the empty halls of the school.

Outside of the office again, Sophie found herself wandering alone, not wanting to go back to her rooms again. The halls were empty, quite, with all of the students in class. The only things in outside of the classroom were ghosts and house elves.

Sophie was stopped on the fourth floor of the castle, by none other than the school's poltergeist, Peeves. He was bobbing around the ceiling, singing under his breath and tossing an inkwell between his hands. His eyes lit up when he spotted her.

"Sophia Roe!" he cackled, floating down.

The ghost came to a stop before her, blowing a raspberry in her face.

"Hello, Peeves," Sophie replied with a smile.

He threw the inkwell in the air and looked at her with a mischievous smirk, "Long time, no seeee, Sophieee!"

"What are you up to?" Sophie asked, eyeing the ink suspiciously.

Peeves grinned, but shook his head, "Stay in the Great Hall after dinner."

Sophie nodded, "Thank you."

She liked Peeves and decided not to advise him against his antics. One of the reasons he respected her was because she didn't ever tell him not to cause problems. She'd just make sure to keep as many people in the Great Hall after dinner as she could.

"How is my unusually happy friend today?" the ghost asked, strangely civil.

Sophie smiled, "Oh, I'm alright. It looks like you're having a productive day."

He nodded in an exaggerated manner, "I am."

The Bloody Baron emerged from around the corner and Peeves leaned closer to her, as if disclosing a secret.

"I'll take my leave now," he whispered. "I was never here."

And then he took off, cackling wildly and disappearing through the ceiling.

"Was that Peeves?" the Bloody Baron questioned, eyeing the spot where the poltergeist vanished.

Sophie smiled, "Would you believe me if I said no?"

The ghost looked at her for a second and then grinned back.

"Give him a few seconds before you follow, then," she said.

The Bloody Baron nodded before he took off up to the ceiling.

Sophie continued on her way through the halls, talking with paintings or stopping to say hello to a house ghost, such as Nearly Headless Nick or nodding at the Grey Lady. Once in a while she caught the lecture of a class in session, McGonagall's stern voice ringing out, or Binns droning on about a wizarding war that could be interesting…once upon a time.

The castle really wasn't the same without all the children wandering about and Sophie sighed as she entered the library to find Madam Pince's hawk eyes immediately on her.

Sophie smiled and waved at the old witch and silently glided through the rows of books to her favorite, yet smallest section. Wizards were not very good at writing fiction, so she had discovered when she was only eleven and trying to find some in the school library. She'd read every book they had, but there weren't that many. Still, she had her favorites that she always came back to when she was bored.

She spent the rest of the day, sitting in a comfy backed chair, her knees pulled up to her chest, rereading one of her all-time favorite novels. In this corner of the library, no one would bother her. Not even Madam Pince came to the section because nobody ever came back there. She was secluded and exactly how she wanted to be.

At dinner time, Sophie rose from the chair, stretching her sore muscles, and returned the book back to its original spot on the shelf. Her stomach was growling and her eyes were scratchy, but she was very pleased by what she'd found to occupy her time with.

Slowly, Sophie wound her way back down to the Great Hall and in through the professor's entrance. The sound of a thousand students met her ears and she was glad that they were no longer in class. Somehow, the castle was lonely and slightly creepy when there wasn't the sound of their voices echoing in the background.

As she was walking, she passed the Golden Trio, also on their way to dinner. Harry smiled and waved at her and Sophie took a detour to where he was.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger," Sophie greeted as she came to walk beside them.

"Evening," they replied.

Sophie smiled down at Harry as his other two friends went back to their conversation.

"I'd hang back in the Great Hall after dinner, if I were you," Sophie said softly.

Harry looked at her confusedly, "Why?"

"I've heard that a certain poltergeist has picked tonight to play out one of his infamous pranks," she answered.

The boy eyed the ceiling as if he could find the offender, but nodded and looked back to her when there was nothing, "Thanks."

Sophie continued to smile, "No problem."

Then she headed away, through the professor's doors and to her seat next to the sour potion's professor. His black robed body was already seated in his assigned chair and his head was already downcast as he gathered food onto his plate.

"Good evening, Professor Snape," Sophie greeted as she sat beside him.

He inclined his head, "Ms. Roe."

"How was your last class?" she questioned, though she thought she could already guess the answer.

Snape glowered into his food, "The same as the other deplorable classes you witnessed."

Sophie nodded in sympathy as she gathered her own food onto the plate before her.

"And how was your last hour of the day?" Snape asked.

Sophie realized that he was going out of his way to inquire about her day and she knew that this was unusual for the professor. She smiled to herself as she thought about the little accomplishment that he was interested enough to ask.

"It was pretty full, actually. I talked with the Headmaster, had a discussion with a few of the ghosts, and read in the library," she said.

Snape watched the witch as she thought before she spoke, a smile coming onto her face before she said a word. He realized that he was drawn to her, for no other reason than that he simply was. He didn't know why or how, but he knew that there was something there.

She answered him and he found himself willing to continue to inquire and make conversation when normally he wouldn't have even asked the first question except with the utmost sarcasm.

"Did you find anything interesting in the library?" Snape found himself asking.

Sophia nodded as her eyes sparkled with life. He knew he'd hit on a good topic.

"Oh yes," she replied. "I have a weakness for fiction novels and I spent my hour reading one of my favorite books in a chair in a corner of the one of the aisles."

For a second he was given pause. Fiction novels? This is what she picked to read for the afternoon? But, he remembered his days as a child here and finding that particular section in the old library. He had found some interesting things there that he wouldn't mind going back to. After all, every fiction novel is based in some truth.

"You prefer fiction?" he questioned.

The witch shrugged, "Only occasionally. It's a good genre to get away from everything else."

Snape knew this only too well, but he wondered what she had to be getting away from. He didn't inquire any more on the subject.

Sophie turned to Flitwick as he started to tell her about his day.

Her back to him, Snape watched her in fascination. What was it that made her like him? Why didn't she just stay away like everyone else? And why was he so drawn to her?

His eyes scanned the Great Hall, like every other meal time, and he glared at the students. Staring back up at the Head Table, was Harry Potter. Their eyes met, black on green, and Snape remembered another woman who had captivated him so fully, more so.

Potter looked away as the Weasley boy looked away and Snape's glare got colder, if that was possible. If it weren't for him, Lily would still be alive. The prophecy never would have been made, Snape never would've had the chance to hear it, and she would have never given her life for his. But, he knew that it wasn't the boy's fault. The blame was his and he would carry that guilt with him to the grave.

"What have they done to make you look like that?" a voice called.

Snape slowly turned to find bright blue eyes staring up at him with a curious innocence. What was he doing? There was no possible chance he would ever forgive himself enough to get any closer to the girl and she was too innocent to be tainted by the likes of him. He should just go back to ignoring her. He shouldn't answer her or let her get any more involved with him.

Sophia continued to smile up at him, her eyebrows rising when he didn't reply.

"Look like what?" Snape questioned, his usual sneer sliding back on his face.

He knew that for a moment he'd gone off into his dark thoughts and that his expression probably mimicked that. Most likely, he was giving a death glare to any student who chanced a glance up at the Head Table during those moments. Not that glaring at his students ever bothered him.

"Like you wanted to harm every witch and wizard in Hogwarts?" Sophia suggested, a grin on her face that said she wasn't trying to offend him.

Snape shrugged indifferently, "I have no idea."

The witch went back to her food, going back for seconds on what she couldn't grab the first time. Snape picked at his own, suddenly not hungry after his thoughts about her. He knew better than to think of her, but he also didn't want to stop thinking of her. He deserved all of the pain her memory brought to him.

Sophie didn't say much after that. She didn't necessarily know what else to say. She didn't want to step on anyone's toes, particularly Severus Snape's. There was a curiosity, though. What exactly was he thinking about to lose his cool composure?

For a few long minutes neither of them spoke and Flitwick was busy discussing something with the professor seated on his right. Awkwardness settled over Sophie as she wondered what she could say to salvage any chance of conversation.

"So what are you doing this evening?" Sophie questioned.

Snape glanced over at the witch as she looked up at him. Why did she have to be so interested?

"Grading papers," he answered shortly, wondering why he even answered in the first place.

Sophie nodded, thinking that she'd have to make all the effort in fixing the situation.

She laughed lightly, "I did all of that in my spare time earlier today."

Snape did not give a reply other than to nod quickly.

"Instead, I'm gonna go down to the greenhouses and work with Professor Sprout," Sophie said, hoping the Potion's Master would say something in return.

He raised his eyebrows and continued to pick at his food.

Sophie sighed, realizing that she was going nowhere fast and that she was running out of things to say that might prompt Snape into replying.

"So, you know I like fiction novels, what kinds of books do you read?" she questioned.

Snape sighed angrily and pushed his plate away from himself. His appetite was completely gone, though it really wasn't all the witch's fault.

"Ms. Roe, I have tried ignoring you and I have tried to leave hints, but you do not seem to understand that I do not wish to discuss anything with you tonight. It seems that because I allow you into my classroom you think it is alright to talk with me whenever you please. I am not your friend, Ms. Roe. I am not friends with anyone for a reason. I do not want friends. I do not need your conversation," Snape ranted.

He pushed away from the table and stood, just as dinner finished. Sophie sat for a moment, stunned, but quickly raced after him, noticing that the student body below them was making their way out of the room.

"Professor Snape, wait!" Sophie called, catching him just at the door.

Snape growled, turning back to the witch. Why couldn't she just listen to him?

"What do you want?" he almost snarled.

By now Sophie had caught up with him and they were blocking the exit as the rest of the professors piled up behind them.

"What is the reason for all of this?" McGonagall's voice called out.

It was then that ink and quills, parchment and other unidentifiable objects fell from the ceiling, covering the students who had already left the Great Hall. Others were still walking out and they were pelted with bottles and dungbombs as Peeves appeared above it all, singing and taunting those below.

"Hellloooo, Professooor Roooeee," the poltergeist called, waving wildly while throwing another bomb at the ground.

Sophie could do nothing, but wave back.

The hall was in total chaos as the ghost wreaked havoc from above and professors headed out to put an end to it all. Sophie followed, flicking her wand to help clean up.

Snape stayed back, staring at the woman as she calmed the hysteric children. He was in shock that she would help him after all he'd just said to her, literally seconds before.

Not saying a word, he started to put the room back in order, scowling at every student around him and taking off points for their incessant whining.

"Professor Roe, I'm disgusting!" he could hear a high-pitched voice wail.

"Now, Ms. Patil, I'm sure you'll be fine," Sophia replied.

Snape listened to them as he Scrougified away some of the ink on the floor. The stench of the bombs would not be magically erased and he knew they'd be dealing with that for the next week.

"But it's disgusting!" the girl cried.

"Scrougify!" he heard the spell.

"Oh thank you Professor Roe!" the Patil twin gushed.

Snape continued to clean until there was only stink of the dungbombs left and all of the professors started to clear out.

"Are you still up to spending a few hours with me, Sophie?" Snape heard Sprout ask.

Sophia's voice replied happily, "Of course! I'm always up for that."

They exited the castle and Snape thought about whether or not he should follow them like he'd been doing these past weeks. After all he'd said at dinner, he shouldn't want to, but she had made him pause even after that. He didn't know why, but she had. And he still couldn't imagine letting her get hurt because he decided talking to her wasn't the way to go anymore.

Snape wandered down to his rooms in the dungeon so that he could grab a different cloak and then followed the women outside. He knew that in the beginning they always discussed plants and other things, but he also knew that once that was over, Sophia would venture out into the Forbidden Forest alone.

Just as he was nearing the greenhouses, he caught sight of the witch making her trek across the castle grounds. She had her wand out, pointed at the ground, a soft charm glowing to illuminate her path.

Snape silently followed her, blending in with the darkness around him. The robe he wore was special, allowing him to disguise himself more easily with the night. He was just another shadow, moving in the inky blackness.

He trailed after the witch, his eyes trained on the light emitted from her wand. When she disappeared into the trees, he was right behind her, not needing to light his own wand because the moon, stars, and her own was enough to see.

Sophia started to sing softly and Snape relaxed, realizing that he'd been tense after all that happened at and after dinner. She worked quietly and quickly, picking and storing the herbs she'd been instructed to get.

Snape watched her until she was done and when they emerged from the woods, him three steps behind her, he fled back to the castle, his emotions whirling. He didn't know what to think.

Sophie stopped ten steps out of the forest, turning to look at the castle. A black form met her gaze and she sighed softly, a small smile on her lips, before she started for the greenhouses once more.


	15. Chapter 15

It was a few days after that when Sophie noticed neither Harry Potter nor Ron Weasley were in class. There were only a few more days until Christmas break, but the boys didn't seem to be anywhere in school. They were absent from meals and also class periods, in fact, all of the Weasley's seemed to be missing.

Sophie was curious, but decided against asking after thinking that if it were anything she needed to know, the Headmaster would have told them. As it was, he had yet to say anything about the absence of the children and the witch kept to herself.

Snape was still keeping himself at a distance from her and she didn't know what she could have done to make him pull away like that. She figured this was another time when she should just keep to herself. He needed space; he was a very private man. When he wanted to talk with her, he would.

In the meantime, Sophie tried to gently nudge him in the way of opening up to her. She no longer asked anything that might seem too personal and rather just spoke about herself. She told him about some of her childhood antics at the school and about some of the things she did at home with her mother and father. The witch left out all of the darker stuff and Snape didn't inquire any further than the surface of things.

A lot was on her mind at that time, but the smile stayed planted firmly on her face. Sophie was always the happy one and she didn't plan on changing that anytime soon.

Finally it was the last day of classes until break ended and Sophie was taking the time to wrap up a segment on fairies. Unfortunately, she was unable to produce one for the classes, but she figured that would be the best for the creatures anyway. The last day was fun, but also tiresome. None of the children wanted to listen, and though that was understandable, it was difficult to deal with. She did not give homework over the break.

After all of the classes were over and the last student had made the trek up to the castle, Sophie left the confines of her 'classroom', though it was in the middle of the forest, and followed them up to the school. Little white crystals floated down on the wind and Sophie couldn't help but take the time to enjoy their simple pleasure.

A flake landed on her nose and she wrinkled it happily, grinning from ear to ear. She put out her hands, watching as little white specks landed and disappeared as they melted. Another moment went by and she raised her head to the sky, letting the snow fall on her already chilled face.

"What are you doing?" a dark voice asked.

Sophie jumped and opened her eyes, coming face to face with Severus Snape. He was glaring down at her, as was usual, and his eyebrows were twisted quizzically. The cold had turned her cheeks and nose red, but her blush fixed that, making her face an even tone of scarlet.

"I was enjoying the snow," she replied softly, that smile lighting up her eyes once more.

"If you were a student I would take points off for being outside without a purpose before dinner. As it is, I feel I should escort you back inside before you catch something worse than a snowflake," Snape said.

Sophie wasn't sure, but she thought maybe that sounded a little bit like concern. She grinned to herself as she followed him up toward the castle. Her body convulsed instinctively, reacting to the freezing temperature and she remembered that she hadn't cast a charm for warmth.

Snape did not wait for her as he took long strides toward the doors and away from her. Sophie rushed to keep up, letting her mouth speak before her mind could catch up.

"What were you doing out of the castle if you're so worried about missing dinner?" the witch questioned.

Suddenly, Snape came to a halt, Sophie almost slamming into his back. He looked down on her with the same cool superiority as the day he'd snapped at her in the Great Hall.

He did not snap at her this time, though. The professor replied simply with, "I was looking for students to take points from."

Sophie stared at him as Snape began walking once more. She had to admit, this did sound like something he would do. But what was so wrong with the students being out if they wanted to be? It wasn't like dinner was mandatory or anything. Then again, Severus Snape could take off points whenever for whatever he wanted.

The girl ran to catch up to him again, falling into step at his side. His gate was much larger than hers, he was almost a foot taller than her, she realized.

They didn't talk as they entered the castle together and Sophie felt the warmth hit her. It was actually too much and she could feel her fingers tingle and burn at the sudden change in temperature. She wrinkled her nose and wiggled her fingers as she walked into the Great Hall at the Potion Master's side.

They sat down at their usual seats, finding that the rest of the staff was already there. Flitwick smiled up at Sophie in greeting as she sat beside him. This would be their last dinner together until after the holidays because the little professor was meeting with his family for the break.

Immediately, Flitwick began speaking to her, pulling Sophie's attention away from the ever stoic Professor Snape. The smaller man was much more enthusiastic in his conversation, with big hand movements and gestures.

"So you're staying here, then, Sophie?" the little man questioned.

Sophie nodded, "Yes. I think I'll finish my grading and spend the rest of the days relaxing in my rooms."

Flitwick grinned, "Sounds nice. But don't you have any family that wants to see you?"

"No," the substitute professor replied softly. "I don't have anyone who wants to see me."

"That's a depressing way to put it," Flitwick stated. "What happened to your parents?"

Sophie did not want to get into it, but she replied steadily, "The first war against You-Know-Who."

Normally, Sophie didn't disguise the name of the man who had caused the worst war in wizarding history. There was something about talking right there, though, that had her whispering the words as if he could hear her.

Flitwick winced at her words and looked down at the table, patting her arm awkwardly, "I'm sorry, dear. We all lost people in the first war."

As if that was any consolation.

They didn't discuss much after that, but Sophie wasn't bothered by this. She was lost in thought, thinking about how her parents really died. Yes, it had to do with the first war, but that wasn't the whole story. There was much more to it than that.

"Well this isn't the right topic at all, not for the holiday time," Flitwick said.

He continued on with another line of conversation.

Dinner was soon finished and Dumbledore stood, calling the room into total silence. He announced a few things, wished everyone a Happy Christmas, and then dismissed the hall. Everyone stood and wandered back to their rooms, the loud chatter of the students slowly fading away.

As Sophie exited the Great Hall, the Headmaster called her aside, asking her to accompany him up to his office for a 'quick chat'. She obliged.

In the familiar room, Dumbledore sat at his seat behind the desk and Sophie sat in one of the comfortable chairs across from it. The Headmaster stared at her with those sparkling eyes over his bridged fingers.

"I've noticed that you and Professor Snape have not been getting along lately," Dumbledore spoke.

Sophie's eyes widened and she shook her head quickly, "It's not like that! I pushed too much and now he's trying to get some distance back."

Dumbledore nodded, he knew this to be true enough. "And how do you feel about this?"

The young professor shrugged, "I don't know. I'm supposed to feel something?"

She was playing dumb. She knew exactly what the Headmaster was talking about. Sophie did feel sort of bad that Snape was now ignoring her, but she also knew the reason and it didn't bother her so much. Or, at least she told herself it didn't. She knew it shouldn't, anyway.

Dumbledore nodded as if she'd just told him everything, "I see."

Sophie fidgeted in her chair, feeling like he could see right through her. There was a reason he was the greatest wizard of all time. He could read people like a book and he had the power to be quite accurate with his readings too.

"Is there something else you wanted?" Sophie asked, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

"Ah! Yes. I wanted to let you know that there was a meeting in three days at Headquarters. Most everybody will be there. Molly will be cooking a fantastic meal, as usual. I have some things I think you'd be interested to hear. We can also discuss more about your work privately if we meet there," Dumbledore replied, as if this was a second thought.

A meeting with the Order and he didn't consider it a priority! It was just like this man to have everything backwards. But she didn't question the madness as she nodded.

"I'll make sure to be there," she said.

Dumbledore nodded, "And if you happen to find time to make peace with Severus, I think it would benefit you both a great deal."

"Of course, Headmaster," Sophie answered. "I'm working on it."

Dumbledore smiled, "Well, I think that's about all I have to say, then."

Sophie stood from her seat, wishing the older wizard goodnight.

"And you too, Sophie," he replied.

She slipped out of the room and started down the staircase, thinking heavily. So heavily, in fact, that she didn't see the person she ran right into.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" she gasped.

"Twenty points from –" Snape snarled.

Sophie looked up to find herself staring into the black eyes of Severus Snape, the very man she'd just been thinking about. She remembered how Dumbledore had been pushing her to make amends and she wondered what the old man was trying to do. Still, this is what she'd wanted anyway and she followed the wizard's advice.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Snape," Sophie apologized.

Snape growled at the wall behind her head, "Don't stand there all day, infernal woman, I've got things to discuss with the Headmaster and then I have places to be."

Sophie flushed red, "Oh, excuse me."

She stepped out of the way quickly, wondering why he couldn't have moved as well.

Snape thundered passed her, his shoulder brushing her own arm. He was furious that she stopped him and beyond angry at himself for being too stubborn to be the first one to move. Why couldn't he just move passed her? Why had he waited until she was forced to step out of his way? He'd prolonged their meeting when he shouldn't have. He shouldn't have been around her at all.

The professor berated himself as he continued toward the Headmaster's office and the girl wound her way down the stairs. Snape didn't know what to think about it.

He didn't need to knock on the door before Dumbledore called for him to enter. He pushed it open with the anger at himself, the door flying toward the wall.

"You called?" Snape sneered, eyeing the old man suspiciously.

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling brightly as he replied, "Please, dear boy, have a seat."

The Potion's Master nearly growled as he did what he was told, flinging himself down on the chair across from the Headmaster.

"Yes?" Snape questioned.

Dumbledore continued to grin, "I was wondering how your classes were going, Severus."

It was then that Snape knew, for sure, that Dumbledore hadn't wanted him for anything specific. There was nothing that they needed to talk about. The old fool was just meddling in his life, again.

Severus snarled in fury as he stood up, "Stay out of my business!"

"Now Severus, you're beginning to sound like a child," Dumbledore replied with sparkling eyes. "I've been meaning to ask how your classes are coming along."

Snape was no fool. "You can run my life and make me do whatever you want when it comes to the war, but you cannot have any excuse for meddling in my personal business."

"My dear boy, I'm just looking out for your happiness," the Headmaster said.

Snape fixed the wizard with a cold stare, "There is no happiness to be looking out for. I am to die in this war; you know it as well as I do. You'd do well to stay out of my personal life."

Dumbledore sighed, the light fading slightly from his eyes, "Can I not look out for you now?"

"No," Snape said, sweeping out of the room without another word.

The potion's professor was furious. He knew exactly what the Headmaster had done. Perhaps the man had called Sophia for a reason, but more than likely there was not. Then, he decided to force the two of them to meet by calling him at the same time.

Snape wanted nothing more than to be left alone when he was not working for the Order. He didn't wish for anything more than that. Of course the Headmaster couldn't let him be. The old fool wasn't happy unless he was interfering in every part of his life.

He slowly wound his way down the stairs and into the dungeons where his rooms awaited him. All that he could think about was how Dumbledore was trying to interfere yet again. Snape could not explain how angry he was that not one part of his life was his own anymore. He understood that when it came to the war, he was available for anything. He couldn't help that, but the other aspects of his life should not have been privy to the old man's constant prying.

By the time Snape arrived at his rooms, he'd taken thirty-five points from Gryffindor, thirty from Hufflepuff, twenty from Ravenclaw, and even ten from his own house. He could not control the rage that seeped from his every pore.

Snape slammed the door behind himself, finding that the cool darkness of his front room was only slightly relaxing, but not nearly as much as he thought it would be. He sighed heavily as he took a seat in one of his armchairs across from the unlit fireplace. He did not light it, but rather enjoyed the cool of his dungeon home.

His mind played again the twinkling eyes of the Headmaster, but this time it continued back, down the stairs until he was facing Sophia Roe again.

The girl was…something. He didn't know what to think of her. She was beautiful, he had to admit. And her smile was captivating. But she just kept prying, kept asking questions that he didn't want to answer. He was a private person and he didn't like her nosiness.

Although, Snape did have to admit that he didn't really mind her questions. It didn't seem so bothersome when she asked. He didn't feel nearly as restricted when talking to her as he normally did with people in general.

There was something about Sophia Roe that wasn't like everybody else. She was always happy, always, though Dumbledore hinted that there was more to her than that. Though she was happy, she wasn't an airhead like he expected her to be. The girl had a brain and she not only had a sense of humor, but she was intelligent and knowledgeable about any subject he'd discussed with her before.

Snape sighed and relaxed back against the chair. The face of Sophia Roe swam before his closed eyes as he relaxed.

It was never meant to be. There was a reason he was pushing her away, why he was keeping her at arms-length. He'd brought it up to Dumbledore and the old man hadn't argued it. It was a fact he faced every day.

Snape had a cover to keep. He was a double-agent for the Order of the Phoenix and also for the worst wizard in history, the Dark Lord. He wasn't going to live to see the outcome of the war. Either he would die at the hands of a fellow Death Eater or by someone fighting for the light. Neither side would want him when it was all done.

Severus Snape did not have a problem with this. He came to terms with this fact a long time ago. His body was not his own, he did not belong to himself. His life was in the hands of Albus Dumbledore and the Dark Lord to do with what they would please. He was simply a pawn in the grand scheme of things.

This was why he couldn't get close to her. Not only would she be a liability to him when he was up before the Dark Lord, but she would get in the way and be hunted if anyone ever found out that he had contact with her. She would be ridiculed and hurt. No one would ever look at her the same. And when everything was finally through, he wouldn't even be alive and it would only hurt worse.

Snape chuckled darkly to himself, opening his eyes and being brutally honest in his thoughts. All of this was only if she accepted him anyway and no woman, however kind, could ever want Severus Snape that way.

Sophie quickly ran down the steps after her awkward encounter with the Potion's Master, her face flaming red enough to match the Weasley's hair. She berated herself for not coming up with anything better to say than 'I'm sorry'. Hadn't she just been talking with Dumbledore about having a better relationship with the man? How was anything supposed to get better if she couldn't talk to him?

She made her way through the halls, saying hello to a few of the students who called out to her. She was not in the mood to stop and chat, but rather wanted to spend the evening in her rooms, relaxing for the rest of the night. It was the last night with the students, after all, and she didn't want to take points or assign detentions.

It wasn't long before she quickly opened her door and it slipped shut behind her. Sophie's bright front room did not exactly cheer her up, but that was fine with her. She continued to the bedroom, pulling off her shoes and socks on the way.

The bed called to her, but Sophie knew she wouldn't rest until she showered and was in comfortable clothes so she continued to the bathroom silently. There, she stripped and looked at her face in the mirror.

Her usual smile was absent, but that was normal when she was looking in the mirror. She didn't like to look at her reflection. It bothered her. Sophie turned away from it without much thought.

The water was magically warm and this was one thing she loved about the wizarding world. She didn't have to wait for it to warm up and it never got cold. Sophie quickly stepped in and sighed at the relaxing warmth that burned a trail down her back.

Standing under the hot water, Sophie thought about her encounter with Snape and how she could stop him from pushing her away. She knew there were reasons why he didn't like people so close, but she didn't want to be just another person. She wanted to know him, to be there when he needed it.

Sophie washed her hair and rinsed it, stepping out of the water a while later. She dried herself off with a towel, foregoing the magic because it made her feel dirty again. Slipping into her pajamas, she laid down in bed, sighing peacefully.

Again, she thought of Severus Snape. The man kept pushing her away, but there was something she didn't get. He hadn't acted like that before. Snape only pushed her away after she'd pushed too much, or she thought that was when he started to ignore her. It was when she pressed too much and he snapped at her that he backed off.

Sophie sighed and closed her eyes, once again picturing the face of Severus Snape in her mind's eye. His scowling expression filled the darkness. For some reason this vision made her feel safe. Severus Snape made her feel safe.

She fell asleep to the face of the Potion's Professor and she imagined all of the ways she could get him to respond to her again.


	16. Chapter 16

The next day, the students left the school on the Hogwarts Express. Only a few of them were staying at the school, most parents wanting their children home for the holidays. Sophie was wondering what to do with her time, not having accompanied the kids on the trip to the train station.

Only a few professors went and they stayed just long enough to make sure the students had gotten on the train and there were no stragglers. After that, they were free to do as they pleased; come back to the school or go on to their vacations.

Sophie quietly wandered the halls, finding that the castle was almost too quiet without the noise of children around every corner. Not even professors were in the classes or halls anymore. Most of them either left for their vacations or they were holed up in their rooms, spending the evening in a peaceful environment.

Honestly, Sophie would have loved to be doing the same, but when she woke up this morning it was to find that her mind would not leave her alone. Her thoughts decided to go in circles today, around and around, her mind played facts she would rather forget. She could not escape it and so she decided walking the castle might give her some respite.

So far, it had not. There was no one there and silence is the same anywhere you go, being in her quiet room was no different than being in the quiet hallways. The only thing that kept her from going back to her rooms was the fact that some of the portraits talked to her and she was wondering if she could find any ghosts. Secretly, she was hoping to run into a certain potion's master.

There was this need in her and she felt like she had to see him. Sophie didn't know why, but she felt like if she could just be close to him, she wouldn't be so conflicted, like her thoughts would slow if she could just see him.

So she continued to walk, always hoping to find Professor Snape somewhere in the halls of the castle or lurking behind a corner.

Over an hour later, she found herself thinking that perhaps he was feeling just like all the other professors and was taking a day in his rooms. Sophie knew that at some point he would want to lurk the halls for students doing wrong, but maybe he would be too well hidden for her to find anyway. She slowly wound her way back to her rooms.

"Profeeessoor Rooe!" a familiar voice called.

Sophie turned to see Peeves up in a corner of the ceiling, his grinning face shining down on her. She couldn't help but smile back at the unruly poltergeist.

"Hello Peeves!" Sophie called, waving up to him and hoping he would come down and talk to her.

The ghost seemed to hear her thoughts as he swooped down to her side, his cool body making the hair on her arms stand on end.

"How is your break starting?" she questioned.

Peeves blew a raspberry in her face as he shook his head, "No fun!"

Sophie just smiled, finding that talking to him was better than no one at all.

"Do you actually miss the students?" Sophie asked.

Peeves opened his mouth as if to answer, but his eyes caught something behind her before he could.

"It's the bat of the dungeons! It's the greasy vampire! The Head of Slytherin!" the ghost sung.

Sophie turned around to find Snape growling at the poltergeist.

"Bat of the dungeons! Greasy git! Snivellus!" Peeves cawed.

Snape was practically foaming at the mouth, seething in anger as he was.

"If you do not disperse immediately I will get the Bloody Baron and you will not see the light of day for years!" the Potion's Master growled, pulling out his wand.

Peeves cackled wildly as he flew away, disappearing through the ceiling.

When Sophie turned back to Snape, his wand was put away and he was simply glowering once more. He looked pretty much back to normal. This did not bother Sophie in the least. She smiled widely at him, forgetting the ghost who had been mocking him just moments before.

"Hello Professor Snape!" Sophie greeted.

Snape's eyes met hers, "Ms. Roe."

Sophie could not shake the absolute relief at seeing him. It felt as if her whole being could just relax now that he was around.

"I figured everyone would be in their rooms today. Relishing in the silence of the school and such," Sophie said, feeling like kicking her feet as she glanced at the wall.

"But you are not?" Snape asked.

Sophie shrugged, "I was stuck in my own head, hoping to find someone to talk to. As you can see, I haven't done a very good job of that."

"It seems you've found some company," Snape replied, nodding in the direction the ghost had gone.

"Peeves can only keep you entertained for so long," Sophie stated.

Snape huffed, "I do not keep company with ghosts at all, particularly poltergeists."

The young professor smiled, "Peeves isn't so bad, not once you get used to him. He's really harmless, just wants to cause a mess."

"That has not been my experience with the ghost," Snape said.

The Potion's Master started to walk down the hall once more and Sophie followed him quickly. She fell in step beside him and looked up with wide, innocent eyes. Or, at least, that's all Snape saw when he looked down at her a moment later.

"I take it you're coming with me?" Snape asked.

Sophie nodded enthusiastically, her grin wide at the fact that he didn't mind.

Severus continued through the halls without a comment, but not complaining either.

"Where are you going?" Sophie asked.

Normally Snape would have been angry at the question. Normally, he would have wanted the person to either shut up or already know. He would have berated them for following someone so blindly. With Sophia, he found his reaction was very different. Instead of getting angry, he felt a grin tugging at his lips, an unknown emotion bubbling in his chest at the thought that she wanted to go with him, unknowing of what she was actually doing.

None of this showed on his face, though. Severus Snape was the master at keeping his emotions in check.

"I am headed up to the Astronomy Tower. I assume that you will not be too much of a bother by allowing you to come with me," Snape answered.

Sophie shook her head, her hair flying in either direction like a child's. She was just so happy that he would trust her to go with him, that he was okay enough to think that she wouldn't bother him.

"As I thought," Snape said quietly.

The two of them continued through the halls silently.

"Interesting company you keep, Ms. Roe," Snape commented after a few minutes of quiet. He couldn't keep it in.

Sophie looked up at him in confusion.

He raised his eyebrows at her, "A poltergeist? I admit, I had wondered how you knew about the ghost's attack on the school after dinner. I suppose now I know."

Sophie laughed, "He's not so bad!"

Snape did not reply to this, but his mind was replaying the times as a student here at Hogwarts when the ghost would taunt him, almost as bad as the marauders. Even now, with Potter dead and the others in hiding, the poltergeist was free to make his life miserable and bring back those awful memories.

"He helped me out when I was going through a rough time when I went to school here," the girl whispered.

Severus looked down at Sophia, slightly surprised.

"What was so bad when you were at school?" Snape asked, thinking that nothing she could say could possibly be as bad as his experiences. Probably something superficial, he thought.

"Other kids liked to play pranks on me as a child and tease me behind my back," Sophie was surprised to find herself saying. "I was intelligent, but a bit of a nerd and I didn't have any friends."

Sophie was shocked at what she'd just admitted. She hadn't meant to tell him anything, but it had just slipped out. It was so easy to tell him about herself.

Snape raised an eyebrow; that was generally how his Hogwarts went, but his put his life in danger and he ended up a Death Eater instead of constantly happy. Now that he thought about it, she was exactly her peppy self right now.

"My childhood went a lot like that, as well," Snape said. He too, was shocked that he'd admitted to that because he never, ever spoke about when he was a kid.

Sophie shrugged, "I guess we turned out okay, though."

Severus did not reply. He did not turn out okay. He was deserving of death for the things he'd done. It was nice to hear her think he was alright, though.

"So you're just staying here over the holidays?" Sophie questioned.

"I'm sure I'll be called out more than once," Snape replied. "There are people who wish to see me that I cannot refuse. And yourself?"

Sophie nodded, "Same."

He did not press because he didn't want her to ask about his own answer and he was surprised that she hadn't asked more about it. He was also stunned to find that he replied the way he did. Snape didn't even think before he gave his answer.

They walked in silence until they came on the Astronomy Tower. It was nearly dark, the sun fading fast behind the trees of the Forbidden Forest.

"It's beautiful," Snape heard Sophia breath.

He didn't respond.

They walked further out until they reached the edge, looking over and into the darkening grounds. No students were out because none were around. It looked calm, like it was taking a breath after all of the chaos of the children.

Sophie kept quiet, trying not to step on the professor's toes too much. She was shocked enough that he was allowing her to be here with him and she didn't want to push it by asking too many questions.

Snape was thinking to himself why he let her come in the first place. This was supposed to be his chance to just get away from it all and now he'd ruined it by letting her follow him. He was unsure if he was supposed to be talking to her, or even if he really wanted to.

It wasn't as bad as he would've thought it would be, though. Snape realized that while he'd been avoiding her, this was actually quite nice. She wasn't being obnoxious and he didn't mind answering the few questions she'd asked. In fact, he even asked a few of his own questions.

Severus didn't want to get too close, though. He still knew that she was no good and that there was no point in getting used to her. Dumbledore was wrong; he wouldn't get close to this woman.

The sun slowly faded behind the trees and the sky was left in bright orange and pinks. Snape found himself feeling at ease like he hadn't been in a while and he thought he knew the reason why.

He glanced down at the girl next to him, finding that her blue eyes were shining back up at him, her white teeth grinning widely. Snape was unsure how to respond to that and so he returned to staring back out at the grounds.

The sun slowly set and then the light was only reminiscent of the sun. Snape didn't know what to say to the woman beside him. She hadn't said anything for a while and he was glad to find that silences with her weren't awkward and that she didn't have to fill it with talking all the time.

Now, Snape himself felt he should say something, but he didn't know what. He didn't want to send her the wrong message or encourage her to talk to him because he knew that he didn't want that. Still, he felt that something should be said here, on his part at least.

"Ms. Roe," he started.

He hadn't realized that he was staring down at her until she looked up at him. Her eyes were shining the way they always seemed to. Snape wondered what the thing was that Dumbledore hinted at, but he didn't ask.

"Professor Snape?" Sophia questioned.

Snape mentally shook himself and stared down into her blue eyes again. What was he to say to this beautiful woman who willingly spent time with him? Perhaps he should've thought this through a little bit more before speaking out loud.

"This is a one-time thing," he stated. "Do not expect me to invite you to go places with me or to talk freely to you from now on. I have told you before that I don't have friends because I do not wish to and this holds true even now."

Sophie nodded her head, asking herself why he would tell her this. Maybe he was clarifying it not only to her, but to himself, she thought.

"I didn't expect you to," Sophie replied. "You've told me before. You don't have to keep reminding me."

Snape would have begged to differ. Sophia was always pestering him, talking to him and following him and asking him questions. The woman took liberties that most other people would never consider.

Instead of replying with anything that was going through his mind, Severus simply nodded.

"Do remember that," he said.

Sophia nodded again.

He took that as his dismissal and turned abruptly to start heading back down the stairs. Behind him, Sophie watched him leave without looking back.

For a few moments longer, Sophie stared off of the Tower and into the distance. The oranges and pinks slowly faded to black and the stars and moon showed themselves just as bright.

Coldness settled over the Tower and Sophie shivered, rubbing her arms for heat. The night hadn't been exactly productive in the way of getting Snape to like her again, but she did get to clear her mind of the thoughts that plagued her. She was right. Just being around Severus Snape had helped immensely to clear her mind.

Maybe half an hour later, Sophie followed in the footsteps of the Potion's Master and started down the stairs into the warmth. Her eyes adjusted to the dark hallways and her stomach growled lowly, reminding her that she skipped dinner in the hopes of getting away from her thoughts.

Sophie headed to the kitchens, now thinking about the time she spent with Snape on the Astronomy Tower. They hadn't talked much, but that wasn't a bad thing. Sometimes it was harder to be quiet around someone than to talk and she was glad that it had been easy to relax in the silence around Snape.

The familiar fruit picture came into view and Sophie reached out, tickling the pear until it giggled and opened up, allowing her entrance. Like every other time she'd been to this particular room in the castle, house-elves swarmed around her. They were everywhere, cleaning and cooking and talking.

"Miss Sophie!" a voice called out.

A few others repeated the name.

Sophie turned in the direction of the familiar voice as it called again.

"Miss Sophie!"

It was then that she saw Dobby, who led a sobbing elf behind him.

"Hello Dobby," Sophie replied, smiling.

The other elves backed off a bit, seeing that she had not only picked an elf, but it was the one that was happy with being free. They went back to their chores.

"What is Miss Sophie liking?" the house elf questioned as behind him, another wailed.

"I was wondering if there was anything I could get to eat," Sophie asked. "I didn't go to dinner tonight."

Dobby nodded, "Oh yes! Would Miss be liking tonight's dinner? Or maybe dessert? And something to drink!"

Sophie laughed, "Whatever you want to get me. Who is this elf?"

Dobby turned around and looked at the screaming elf behind him.

"This is Winky, Miss," Dobby replied sadly. "Winky doesn't have a master anymore."

The elf, Winky, cried louder at these words.

"Sorry, Miss Sophie. Dobby be getting Miss her food now," Dobby said.

Sophie nodded and watched as the elf dragged his friend away. It seemed that all of the others stayed away from them as if they had some sort of catching disease.

It wasn't long until there was a table full of food before her and Sophie was sitting in front of it. Dobby was standing at the edge of it, Winky nowhere to be seen.

There was a little bit of everything set out and she was sure that she'd never be able to finish all of it as Sophie thanked the house elf profusely. He was beaming the entire time she spoke.

"Everything is to Miss's liking?" the elf questioned.

Sophie nodded, "Yes, this is perfect, Dobby."

She started to dig in to the food. It was calling to her and making her stomach claw at her from the inside, like a starving animal.

An hour later, the substitute professor finished her meal and heard the entire story behind Winky the house elf. She felt bad for the creature who had done nothing to warrant being given clothing and she wondered how the elf would continue to live.

"Thank you again, for the wonderful meal, Dobby," Sophie said, standing at the entrance to the kitchens.

The elf bobbed his head and his ears swung back and forth, his smile from ear to ear.

"Of course, Miss Sophie. Dobby loves to help his friends and Miss has always been very good to us house elves," Dobby replied.

Sophie grinned, "Well, I'm going to bed now."

She turned around and came face-to-face with Albus Dumbledore. He smiled down at her.

"Good evening, Sophie," he greeted pleasantly, unsurprised to see her.

"Professor Dumbledore," Sophie stated.

He walked them back into the kitchens and immediately elves were drawn to him. Dumbledore gave them their orders and they were left alone again.

"Feeling the missed dinner?" he asked.

Sophie nodded sheepishly.

Dumbledore just smiled, "I thought something along those lines would happen."

He took a seat at the table she'd just been sitting at and Sophie sat beside him at his urging. It seemed another chair had magically appeared and now that she thought about it, perhaps it had.

"How did your night with Professor Snape go?" the Headmaster asked.

Sophie's eyes widened.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he answered the unspoken question, "The paintings don't have much to talk about now that the students have left for the holidays."

"Fine," Sophie replied, feeling awkward discussing it.

The Headmaster smiled knowingly, "You'll be at the meeting tomorrow, I presume?"

Sophie nodded, "Yes, of course."

"Good, good. That's all I needed to discuss with you, but I guess you'll have news then?" he said.

"Plenty," she replied.

That was her dismissal and she took it, standing to exit the kitchens once more. Sophie bid goodbye to Dobby and Winky, the latter drowning her sorrows in a bottle of butterbeer.

Sophie walked up the stairs to her rooms as the paintings whispered around her. She lit her wand lowly so that they didn't freak out at her.

The bright rooms reflected her outwardly happy emotions, but she sighed deeply at being alone once more. To ignore the thoughts that threatened to consume her earlier in the day, she quickly got into bed and shut her eyes.

Sophie thought of Snape and though it wasn't the same as being around him in person, it was good enough to help her into a dreamless, but fitful sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Sophie woke feeling no more rested than she had when she went to sleep, but she took a Pepper-Up Potion and got ready for the day. She took a shower, changed, and avoided the mirror at all costs, just like always.

Breakfast in the Great Hall was a quiet ordeal. She was one of the only people in the room, and one of two professors. The other was Professor Vector, seated at the opposite end of the table. Neither of them tried to move to speak to the other. Though they smiled and waved, each was content to be by themselves for this morning meal.

It was toward the end of breakfast that Severus Snape entered the Hall and took his seat at the end of the table, beside Sophie. She smiled and greeted him, returning to her food after receiving a short nod of the man's dark-haired head.

"Have a pleasant night, Professor?" Sophie asked, deciding that some small-talk was in order.

She was testing the waters between herself and the Potion's Master. If he didn't respond positively, then she would just have to try harder. For some reason, she really wanted him to like her and be able to talk to her. Not even Sophie knew the true reasoning behind the urge.

Snape sighed, but instead of snapping at her, he turned and replied, "It was quite acceptable. And you, Ms. Roe?"

Sophie smiled triumphantly, "Not bad at all. Have any big plans for the day?"

She'd gotten one response out of him and now she wanted to see if there was anything else he would reply to without pushing. Would he be okay with this deeper question? Or would he push her back? Would this be okay and then something later not be? Sophie wanted desperately to know.

There was a pause. Snape speared a potato on his fork and chewed thoughtfully.

"I have errands to run later this evening, but I will be waiting until nearly sundown before seeing them through," he told her.

The fact that she'd gotten an answer at all surprised Sophie so much that she didn't have much to say to this.

"What about you, Ms. Roe? Any upcoming plans?" Snape questioned.

Sophie snapped back to reality and thought for a moment before replying, "I guess I've got much the same idea as you. I'm not willing to do my errand running until nearly dinnertime. But I suppose I've made that a habit because I don't have classes around that time when we have classes."

This was not necessarily true. Sophie knew that she only did errand running on the weekend when school was going on. She also knew that tonight she wouldn't be visiting Diagon Alley, but rather a certain Headquarters. But this was information that was not to be spoken of, ever and so Sophie kept her mouth shut on the matter and told her little white lies.

Snape raised his eyebrows.

Sophie desperately hoped that he wouldn't ask to accompany her or any such thing. She knew he was one who would rather be by himself and she hoped that he would stick to his usual patterns today.

At the same time, Snape was hoping that Sophia wouldn't ask to come with him. He could always play it off and sneer at her like he would with anyone else, but he'd finally decided that he couldn't take it anymore and to give up with the attitude.

But neither of them said a word and they ate in a wondering silence. Both were relieved that the other didn't have any more questions about their going out. They were both too concerned to come up with any good things to ask.

Sophie finished her breakfast before Snape did and she pushed her plate away from her and stood up with a smile to her companion.

"I suppose I'll see you at lunch, then," Sophie said.

Snape looked up at the red-blonde beauty and into her blue eyes. He nodded wordlessly.

Sophie grinned once more and turned from the man, striding confidently from the Great Hall. Snape's eyes did not leave her until she had disappeared from view.

Snape ate the rest of his breakfast in silence, his face returning to the neutral scowl that he always wore when he wasn't openly sneering at a person. His thoughts returned to the one person in this school who would not leave his mind he thought of the decision he made the night before.

There would be no more pushing her away. It seemed it was just too hard to do. Sophia Roe had proven that she could not only talk to him, but also keep good company while not saying a word. She was beautiful and smart and she wanted to be around him. What was the point in keeping her at arm's length?

Of course, that didn't mean he was going to be downright nice to her or anything. He wasn't going to suddenly be her best friend. That just wasn't his character. But he could talk to her and be around her occasionally.

This did not mean that Dumbledore was right about anything, though. Snape still thought it would be awfully dangerous to let her get too close to him. Not only would it put her in danger from Death Eaters, but he was doomed to die in this war. It wouldn't be fair to get close to her and then die.

But perhaps they could be friends for now. Snape knew there was no way she could want to be around him for too long. No one ever did. Even before he became a Death Eater, people shied away from him. His best friend even gave up on him after he'd made one too many mistakes.

Snape thought that maybe he could get some enjoyment out of being nice to her, even if it hurt later when she eventually turned away from him. Everyone always did and she would be no exception, Snape knew. Maybe for a little while, it wouldn't be like that, though.

Severus Snape finished his morning meal and pushed away from the Head Table. He exited through the professor's entrance and stalked through the halls towards his private office, where he could focus on brewing anything he wished. There was one potion in particular he wanted to try out and he thought he had just enough time before the meeting.

Sophie did not return to her rooms. She found them to be too confining. Except to sleep, she found time spent elsewhere was usually time better spent. It was just too suffocating to be in that room.

The time with her thoughts was not good. Sophie knew that she got inside her own head too much, but it was easier to overcome when she was with people. She could be happy and talk and for some reason being with another person made it easier to think about lighter things.

Instead of subjecting herself to her own thoughts in her bedroom, Sophie wandered the halls of the school. The staircases seemed to be in a particularly wicked mood because they kept switching, one leaving her stranded for over twenty minutes. This did not really bother the young professor, though.

Sophie came into contact with many of the resident ghosts, finding that they were also roaming the castle halls. She chatted for a few moments with each of them, but then continued on.

Stuck on another moving staircase yet again, Sophie caught sight of the Grey Lady silently gliding through a nearby wall. Her head was downturned and she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, but there was something beautiful.

Sophie called out to the dead woman.

The Grey Lady stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the person calling her. Sophie smiled brightly and moved closer, up the stairs which had finally come to a standstill.

"I'm-"

She did not have to say who she was, though, because it seemed the woman remembered her from her years at Hogwarts.

"Sophia Roe," the ghost said. "You were in Ravenclaw."

Sophie smiled and nodded, "But you can just call me Sophie, no one calls me Sophia."

"Then you may call me Helena," the ghost whispered.

There was something about her – Helena - that was sad. She seemed to be reflecting on something. Not only was she sad, but she was also almost insubstantial. Her voice like it wasn't even there. Her body was the most see-through ghost in Hogwarts, Sophie thought.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you from your thoughts, but I just wanted to say hello," Sophie said. "You looked so sad; I thought you could use someone to brighten your day."

Helena smiled, "Thank you. I haven't spoken to anyone for quite some time. Luna Lovegood sometimes stops to say hello. She's a sweet girl…She hasn't been around lately."

"No, she's gone home for Christmas break," Sophie replied. "As well as all of the other students."

The Grey Lady nodded, "Well, I must be off."

Sophie watched as she continued on her path from before, straight through another wall.

The professor kept on her way, up yet another flight of stairs and down another hallway. It was utterly quiet in the school, almost eerily so. There was no sound other than her own feet on the hard floor.

Slowly, the day passed until it was just about time for the meeting at the Order. Molly Weasley was cooking dinner for anyone who wanted to stay after and Sophie decided she would spend a few more hours away if she could. She returned to her rooms and put on her winter cloak and started out of the castle.

The grounds were deserted. All of the footprints that had been there before break were now covered, snow falling from the sky even as she walked toward the gates. The tiny flakes landed on her face and in her hair and Sophie wrinkled her nose, grinning. It was little things like that which made her truly happy.

Once outside the gates of the castle, Sophie was able to Apparate on the spot, spinning with a pop.

The weather at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, was much the same as at the school, except with a lot more wind. Sophie quickly opened the door to the house and slipped inside, brushing off her snow-covered cloak. She was careful to be quiet because she knew the portrait of Mrs. Black was temperamental at best.

Behind her, the door opened again and a body slammed into her back.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the person apologized loudly.

Sophie attempted to shush her, but it was too late. A black sheet came flying up and the two women were met with the sight of a very angry woman. Her dark hair flew about her face and her shrill screams echoed about the house.

"Blood-traitors! Mudblood filth! Dirty rotten son letting vermin into the house of Black!" the portrait shrieked.

Footsteps pounded up from the basement and the heads of Molly Weasley and Remus Lupin appeared at the top of the stairs.

"I'm sorry," the woman who bumped into Sophie said immediately.

"Oh, Tonks…just head on down to the dining room. Remus and I will sort this out," Mrs. Weasley stated.

The other woman, Tonks, sighed and headed down the stairs the two people just came from. Sophie had never officially met either of these people, but she knew their names after seeing them in the Daily Prophet. Molly Weasley also looked just like her children with her flaming red hair.

Sophie shifted uncomfortably for a moment before Mrs. Weasley focused on her.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear," the motherly figure said. "You should go on down too. The meeting will be starting shortly."

Sophie nodded and headed down the stairs quickly.

The dining room consisted of a long table with plenty of shabby chairs. Nothing seemed brand new, but it looked old and antique. Sophie guessed they were part of the Black family and confirmed her guess after finding a family crest on the back of her seat.

She decided to sit in one of the empty chairs at the end of the table and she smiled warmly at the woman who had knocked into the back of her moments before.

"Hi, I'm so sorry about that," the woman said, reaching across the table to shake her hand. "I'm Tonks."

"Sophie," the professor replied, shaking the offered hand.

"I haven't seen you around here before," Tonks stated.

Sophie shook her head, "I mainly just report to Dumbledore alone."

Tonks nodded, but didn't ask. Sophie was relieved that she didn't pry.

More people piled in, Dumbledore eventually entered and took a seat at the head of the table. Sophie recognized many of the faces around her from the Daily Prophet. Many of them were important people or even criminals. She wondered briefly how much some of them could be trusted, but she quickly shook that thought from her mind.

It was right before the meeting started that two people walked through the door. Sophie was mainly keeping her head down, thinking of what she had to say. Still, she glanced up quickly and then quickly did a double-take. Walking in was none other than Professor Severus Snape.

Their eyes met as he strode confidently across the room and took a seat in one of the last empty spaces. It was then that Dumbledore called the meeting to order and he started the reports. A few things that everyone knew, but there were some things that she hadn't heard before. Input was given to stop Voldemort's attacks and then they moved on to the next person.

"Now I know you're all wondering who a certain person at our table this evening is. This is Sophie Roe, a substitute professor at Hogwarts," Dumbledore was saying. "But she also has key information that no one else can get. Sophie?"

All eyes were on her and though it didn't normally bother her this much, she could feel the pressure of saying the right things in front of these people. They were important. They were fighting to defend the rights of all people, magical and non alike.

She had never been to one of these meetings before, basically because Dumbledore didn't think it was necessary. The time had come now, where she was needed to talk to the group and let everyone know what was happening inside the enemy's walls. She knew there was another spy somewhere within these defenses, but she also knew that this person received different information than she did.

Sophie took a deep breath and started to recall what she heard at her last meeting with Voldemort. She told them how he was upset that the last plan to get the prophecy hadn't worked, but he was more determined than ever to have it. She said that he was formulating new ways all the time and was just waiting to test some of them out. There was one that he thought would work for sure, but he wouldn't inform her of what it was. She just knew that it would probably work and they had to be ready when it did.

Some of the people seated at the table, like Mad-Eye Moody, wanted to know how she got such information. He also continued to ask her why she couldn't give them more than 'it will most likely work'. He wanted to know why she couldn't tell them exactly what was going to happen.

The problem was, Sophie really didn't know what the plan was. She could ask, but that might end up bad on her part. For now, Voldemort would keep his plans to himself, she was sure he would tell someone before it was time to carry out.

It seemed that many of the people seated at the table around her were suspicious of her involvement with the most evil wizard in history.

When she was finished answering questions, Dumbledore thanked her and moved on to the next person at the table. Soon he got to Snape.

The Potion's Master slowly spoke of what he knew about the Dark Lord's attacks. They were occurring more and more against muggles. The Dark Lord was expanding, recruiting more people, becoming more confident.

No one said a word against Severus Snape. Nobody said anything at all to the man.

Dumbledore thanked him and then started to give out orders of what people could do to help the cause. Lupin was to continue working with the werewolves, Tonks and Kingsley were supposed to listen to anything they could at the Ministry and gather as much information as possible there.

When that was done, Dumbledore stood and dismissed the crowd, announcing that dinner would be served in about half an hour if anyone would like to stay. Though that had been Sophie's original plan, she now followed after Snape as he quickly made his way to the door.

"Professor Snape!" Sophie called, reaching out to grab the sleeve of his robe.

Black eyes glittered dangerously as he turned back to look at her, but his voice was quite smooth, "Yes, Ms. Roe?"

Sophie was at a loss for words. She really had no idea what to say.

"Sophie, if I could have a word with you before you leave!" Dumbledore's voice called from behind her.

The young witch was reluctant to leave the Professor's side, but it seemed she had no choice in the matter. She wanted to talk to him. The revelation that he was part of the Order was shocking to say the least. And he was the other spy in Voldemort's ranks? She wanted to talk to him more about it.

"I'll see you at school?" she questioned.

Snape shrugged, "I suppose we will."

He turned and pulled his arm out of her grasp, quickly stepping up the stairs and out of sight.

"Sophie?" the voice of the Headmaster called.

The substitute professor returned to the dining room and came to stand beside the old man who was watching her with twinkling blue eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me Professor Snape was the other spy?" Sophie asked, her voice accusing.

"I thought we went over this," Dumbledore replied. "It would be dangerous for you to know the identity of the one you are working with."

"But now I know anyway," Sophie pointed out.

Dumbledore nodded, "Things have changed. It is of greater importance now that you know who you can and cannot trust. Severus is someone you most certainly can. I hope the two of you can perhaps compare your findings, work together if you need to."

Sophie nodded, seeing the reasoning behind his words.

"Are you staying for dinner?" the Headmaster asked. "Molly's food is fantastic and it would be a great chance for you to get to know the other members, get them to see the real you."

Sophie looked around the room at the people who would be sticking around and nodded again. Snape was already gone and she might as well continue with her original plan.

"Yes, I think I will," she replied, looking back up at the twinkly-eyed man.

But he was not paying attention to her anymore. His eyes had landed on a head of thick black hair and his face looked pained.

"If you'll excuse me, dear girl, I must take my leave from you now," Dumbledore stated.

He was out of the room soon after that and Sophie watched as Harry Potter called after him. The wizard never looked back and the teen sighed before taking a seat at the table with his friend, Ron Weasley.

Sophie decided to sit back down in the chair she'd occupied earlier. She smiled as Fred and George Weasley came stumbling down the stairs and greeted her with mischievous grins. They sat down across from Harry and Ron. Ginny came down and the table was soon full once again.

This time the talk was much lighter and it seemed they were keeping anything serious away from the ears of any of the teens. Molly Weasley soon entered the room, magically floating the food in front of her and placing it on the table. Everyone dug in.

Sophie struck up a conversation with some of the people sitting around her. Tonks seemed to be alright with her and the kids talked to her a lot. Eventually she was able to show everyone that she really was harmless and they warmed to her slowly.

"Sophie?" a man with scraggly brown hair questioned.

She nodded and he grinned widely.

"I'm Sirius, Sirius Black," he greeted.

He placed his hand over the table and Sophie took it after a moment, shaking his hand. She'd heard about his killing twelve muggles, but she also heard all about how it was fake from Peter Pettigrew recently and over the summer.

"How did you escape from Azkaban?" Sophie asked, suddenly curious.

She had a feeling this man would not be offended with such a question.

Her feeling was right because he grinned even wider and leaned in closer as if telling her a secret.

"I'm an animagus," he replied. "I turned into a dog and walked right out."

Sophie sat back, actually stunned by this answer. She hadn't thought anything like that was possible.

Sirius laughed and sat back in his chair. He was obviously not offended, Sophie thought.

The rest of dinner was very pleasant. At the end of the night, Sophie thanked Mrs. Weasley for the fantastic dinner and then made her way to the door with a group of other people. Their talk grew quiet as they neared the portrait of Mrs. Black. One by one, they stepped out onto the porch and Disapparated from there.

Sophie arrived outside the gates of Hogwarts once more. They let her in and she made the trek up the path to the school. It was late and when she entered the front doors the place was utterly silent.

She thought about her incredible want to speak with Snape, but decided that could wait. He was probably sleeping at the moment. Instead of venturing into the dungeons to speak with the Potion's Master, Sophie quietly walked up the stairs to her rooms and fell into bed, exhausted.

Normally she had a problem falling asleep, but tonight she was out quickly. The events of the day wore her out and she quickly was out, thinking that she'd speak to Snape in the morning.


	18. Chapter 18

Sophie did not get to speak to Snape in the morning, however. She overslept. It was nearing ten-thirty when she forced her eyes to open and sat up in her bed.

At first, Sophie could not remember why she had this feeling in the pit of her stomach, like she was falling. And then it all came crashing back to her. The night before, at the meeting, and her discovering that Snape was a spy…him finding out that she was a spy.

Sophie quickly got out of bed and went about showering and getting dressed. The only thing going through her mind was that she had to find Snape. She had to explain, to figure out what he was thinking. There was this overwhelming need inside her to know that he didn't think too awfully of her after learning that she was leading a double-life, one of them as a Death Eater very close to the darkest wizard in history.

The hot water of the shower relaxed her enough so that when she got out, she wasn't jumpy. It also gave her time to think things through. What exactly was she supposed to say to him? She wanted to talk, but she didn't know where to go with this.

Sophie went over what she wanted to know in her head as she got dressed and magically dried her hair, because she didn't have time to wait for it the muggle way.

Figuring that a little breakfast wouldn't hurt before she met up with Snape, Sophie resigned herself to spending an hour surrounded by house-elves.

That morning, Snape had woken to immediately remember the events of the night before. It was something he was used to doing now because he couldn't afford to forget, not when he was in the service of the Dark Lord.

Severus slid out of bed and got ready for the day methodically. Like everything else he did, waking up in the morning was a process he put thought into. He showered, brushed his teeth, and didn't bother to look in the mirror as he magically dried his already greasy-looking hair. He dressed in his layers of black and laced up his shoes as he thought about talking with Sophia later in the day.

She had specifically told him that they needed to talk and Snape wondered what she wanted to say. He had a number of questions that came to mind when thinking about Sophia being a spy for the Dark Lord, but he didn't think any of them she really be asked of her. He didn't think she would like them too much.

Snape strode from his room, his robes billowing around him just the way he preferred. He knew that he was a scary sight to behold for many of his students and he liked it that way.

But Sophia wasn't at breakfast, like he assumed she would be. It was one of the reasons he made sure to be there that morning. He didn't want to look like a coward by not showing up.

So, instead of talking with the girl about what they discovered, he sat at his end of the table alone. This didn't bother him at all, like some people might think. Snape was actually quite pleased that no one would try to talk to him or interrupt his breakfast. They knew better and Snape was thankful for that.

Sophia did not show up at breakfast, which was slightly annoying to Severus. The witch had specifically asked to speak with him and then couldn't be bothered to show up at the morning meal? But secretly, there was a part of him that was relieved. He didn't have to defend himself and why he was a Death Eater yet.

From further down the table, Dumbledore's voice rang out.

"Severus, if I may have a word with you after breakfast," the Headmaster requested.

Snape looked coldly across the table and met the old man's eye. He nodded his head slowly.

There were a lot of things he wanted to discuss with Dumbledore, now that he thought about it. Some of the questions he would've directed at Sophia could more accurately be pointed straight to the source in the Headmaster of the school.

When Snape had cleared his plate of all the food he'd taken and he finished the last of his drink, he slowly stood met the Headmaster at the professor's entrance to the Great Hall. They walked together to the gargoyle that stood outside the old man's office. Neither man spoke to the other.

"Would you like to do the honors, Severus?" Dumbledore asked when they arrived at the staircase.

Snape sneered at the wizard whose eyes were twinkling wildly, "After you, Headmaster."

Dumbledore let out a happy chuckle and said the password, laughing again as he stepped up onto the winding staircase. Severus followed with a scowl on his face.

In the large office, Dumbledore took his seat behind his desk and Snape sat across from him. Dumbledore brought his fingers together under his chin and stared at the glowering man for a few long seconds.

"So you know that there is another spy working against Voldemort," Albus started. "And now you know who that person is."

"Why is it that I've never seen her?" Snape asked first. "She's never been at any of the meetings."

Dumbledore nodded, acknowledging the question as he thought about an answer, "Voldemort has different ways of communicating with Sophie. He doesn't use her like he does with his other Death Eaters."

"Why not?" Snape asked.

He forgot that he was talking about someone he knew and was now looking at this from a strategic angle. Snape wanted to know all about her position with the Dark Lord and why he'd never seen her. He wanted to know how the Dark Lord used her. Most importantly, he wanted to know how he could have missed her.

"It would not be right if I told you all of Ms. Roe's secrets, would it, Severus?" Dumbledore replied. "Just like I will not tell her all of yours."

Snape's face took on a calculating look, "What can you tell me, then?"

Dumbledore sighed and looked at the wall behind Snape's head. He considered what he would tell the potion's professor.

"Ms. Roe has been working with Voldemort just as long as you have," he started. "She started working for the Order when signs started showing that he was coming back into power. She's been disclosing information to me for much longer than that."

Snape was staring at the desk before him, wondering how he hadn't heard of or seen this woman when she'd been working in the same place as him all the time. What kind of circle was she in that he never saw her?

"But Severus," Dumbledore called, bringing the man out of his thoughts. "Just like I have brought her into the open with the Order, I believe Tom will choose to do the same with the Death Eaters, at the very least with his inner circle. I think you two will be working together sooner than you're ready."

Snape looked up at the Headmaster who explained things cautiously. Work with her?

"Work with her?" Snape asked ludicrously.

"We decided to tell Voldemort that she was notifying the Order of her work as a double agent," Dumbledore explained. "He will most likely find that now is the time he makes it known to his own followers that she is among them. You two will most likely have separate information, but also overlapping. Sophie isn't your ordinary Death Eater and I think it would benefit you both to share your knowledge not only with me, but with each other."

Snape leaned back in his chair, but didn't reply.

"I can see you need some time to think things over," Dumbledore stated. "Why don't you come back tomorrow and we'll have a meeting to further discuss this with Sophie present as well?"

The Potion's Master nodded his agreement and left the room with another word to the Headmaster. Behind him, the portraits discussed what they'd learned with each other and Snape scowled as he made his way down the winding staircase.

There was a lot on his mind, as he made his way through the halls and to his dungeon home. He was used to working alone and now he was to work with her? The girl he thought perhaps he could get along with in school was now much more than he thought her to be. She was a spy. There was another spy. Suddenly, Snape was unsure about the security in his role with the Dark Lord.

If there was another spy working for the Dark Lord, he was not as needed as he once thought. His master could get the information he needed from another source and then Snape would be disposable if he messed up. He had to be flawless in his role from now on.

He was only in his room for a few seconds before he realized that sitting around would not help anything. In fact, he wanted to speak with Sophia. Soon.

Snape stalked out of his room and decided to take a walk through the castle. Perhaps he could take some house points off before he spoke with the witch.

It wasn't until lunch that Snape and Sophie came into contact. Much to Severus' happiness, he was able to take a number of points from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor when he found two of them inside an abandoned classroom snogging. The only problem was that Snape couldn't talk to the girl here. Even though it was Christmastime and there weren't many students or staff, the Great Hall was still too populated for them to be able to talk openly.

The two of them sat in uncomfortable silence and picked at their food, unable to really say anything to each other.

"I'm sorry I wasn't at breakfast this morning," Sophie apologized, looking up at the man beside her. "With everything that happened last night, I overslept."

Snape nodded.

"Can we still talk?" Sophie asked, feeling her stomach sinking.

"I believe there are certain things we should discuss," Snape replied.

Sophie chewed her lip nervously. She didn't know what to expect from this talk with the Potion's Master.

"After lunch?" Sophie asked.

Severus replied, "My office."

They ate in silence once more. There were no happy smiles from Sophia, Snape noticed. She didn't giggle or try to talk to him. He didn't know what to think about their talk after lunch.

When both professors finished their food, they stood from the table and started down into the dungeons. Snape's office was dark and dank. It smelled of something foul, but Sophie couldn't bring herself to comment.

The witch sat across from the head of Slytherin House. His face was dark as he stared across his desk at her. She didn't know what to say.

Snape started their discussion, finding the silence unbearable and wanting to get some answers to the questions that plagued him.

"How long have you worked for the Dark Lord?" Snape asked.

Sophie's face scrunched up as she considered the question, "How do you define 'work for'?"

Snape sighed, suddenly wondering how he ever found her intelligent or easy to talk to. She didn't seem to be any of those things now.

"When did you start working for the Dark Lord? Start doing his bidding?" Snape reiterated.

Sophie's heart thudded hard against her chest. What was she to tell him?

"Half way through the first war," she whispered. "When I was sixteen."

Snape took a closer look at the girl, wondering how she got into the Dark Arts at such a young age and also how she managed to become a Death Eater without finishing school.

"How did you become a Death Eater without finishing Hogwarts?" Snape asked sharply. "Minors are not allowed."

Sophie looked down, "I have connections with certain people."

The Potion's Master did not know how this helped anything. He knew plenty of children with all of the connections and willing to serve, but they were not allowed to start work for the darkest wizard of all time until they were out of school. Draco Malfoy was one of these children.

"Connections?" Severus asked, waiting for her to clarify.

Sophie sighed and Snape could tell she was thinking about tricky wording.

"I have known many of the people in Voldemort's circle for as long as I can remember," she said haltingly.

Snape tried to figure out which of the circle she could possibly know and raised an eyebrow at her to continue.

Sophie didn't like talking about this, she had no idea what to tell him when he asked all of these questions, but he was waiting. The Potion's Master stared down at her with his dark and calculating eyes and she knew that she had to tell him.

"My…parents were some of his followers," Sophie admitted, trying to think ahead to come up with everything that she would be telling him. There were still things that were private and she wasn't going to let him know.

Snape didn't buy it. Although this was entirely plausible because he hadn't known the people in the first circle and he still didn't know all of the Death Eaters now, he didn't believe her. The girl's pausing and thinking before every sentence was one sign of her lies. The fact that he was a skilled legilimens was another.

The Potion's Master could have called her out on it. He could've stated the fact that she wasn't telling him the truth, but he didn't. Lies also said something about a person.

Sophie was squirming in her seat as she waited for Snape's next question. She knew he lies were completely see-through and her heart pounded in her chest as she awaited the moment he would call her out on it. So far, he just dug deeper.

"And the Dark Lord let you into his ranks because…you were a follower's child?" Severus asked, his eyes watching as she fidgeted in the chair opposite to him.

"No," Sophie answered. "Of course not."

And Snape's eyebrows rose with his next question, "Then why?"

She sighed, "I am gifted with certain abilities that Voldemort was after."

"If we are to be working together, Ms. Roe, then I should know everything about you. We shouldn't keep secrets. Perhaps you should be more open with this," Snape stated, finding his patience was running thin.

"I don't see you telling me anything about yourself," Sophie snapped as the pressure of Snape's questions got to her. "I'm sorry," she immediately apologized.

"I became a Death Eater straight out of Hogwarts, following my friend Lucius Malfoy," Snape instantly spouted. "I quickly rose through the ranks into the Dark Lord's inner circle and when I decided that I didn't want that life it was too late. Dumbledore agreed to help me if I took an oath to help him and I've been doing that since the last few months of the first war."

This wasn't the entire truth. Of course, Sophia didn't have to know that. Snape figured this would be enough to get her to start talking about herself, though.

Sophie could tell that certain things were missing out of the man's story, but she couldn't pinpoint where. She couldn't rag on him for that anymore, though. Now, she'd just have to tell him about herself, even if she refused to give up all of the details.

"Fine," Sophie spat, not feeling at all like her normal, happy self.

Snape sat smugly and waited for her to continue.

"My parents were part of Voldemort's ranks and I was powerful enough to be of interest, of course he didn't want anything to do with me until my sixth year in Hogwarts when the war was starting to heat up," Sophie told him. "I took the Dark Mark and he killed my parents the next year when it seemed like they were holding me back. That was when I turned to Dumbledore."

This story was mostly true, but facts were left out that Snape could hear in her voice.

"What else?" Snape asked, eyeing her and feeling that it would be better to just break out the Veritaserum.

Sophie shook her head, "That's it. What else do you want to ask?"

"What aren't you telling me, Ms. Roe?" Snape demanded.

"I told you everything you asked me," Sophie replied.

Snape decided to let it drop. He would come back to this. For now, her answer would have to do. She seemed to be telling at least part of the truth.

"Dumbledore said that we would be receiving separate information," Snape stated. "What information will you be gaining?"

Sophie looked at the floor and then back up into Snape's eyes as she replied, "He doesn't tell me plans, really. Voldemort likes to tell me how the plans are going. He brags to me."

Snape wondered why this was valuable, but didn't speak it aloud.

Sophie knew what he was thinking anyway and she replied to it, "There are good reasons for knowing a person's feelings on their plans."

Severus Snape didn't comment.

"You are being presented before the inner circle?" Snape said, a slight question in his tone.

Sophie nodded.

"When?"

"The next meeting," Sophie stated. "I don't know when that'll be."

"Soon," Snape said.

"Yes," Sophie replied.

Severus watched the woman across from him, but didn't speak a word.

"Dumbledore says we'll be working together now," Sophie said, her eyes searching his.

Severus nodded, "I suppose."

They sat in silence.

Sophie still had so many questions to ask of Snape, but she didn't know how. He was an unapproachable man and though she was able to talk to him on the most basic of levels, she knew he wouldn't appreciate her trying to delve any deeper into his life than that. She wasn't even sure he would allow her to talk to him like that anymore, even if they were supposed to be 'working together'.

Snape was thinking of similar things. He knew that there were questions he still had for Sophia and he knew that there were things she wasn't telling him, but he found that he didn't want to break the silence just yet. For now, they were saving the interrogation and gathering their thoughts. He felt like he was on the brink of a battle with the woman.

Sophie wrinkled her nose and wondered what Snape thought of all of this.

"You know, Voldemort will never give you up," she told the wizard sitting across the desk.

Snape's eyes snapped up to the face of Sophia Roe. She looked very serious and contemplative as she stared at him.

"What are you talking about?" Snape nearly snarled.

This was one of the things that was bothering him.

"Your spot in the inner circle is safe," Sophie repeated. "Voldemort would never give you up, even if I could give him all the information you do. He's thinking about using me for other things, rather than spying. He already has a spy, why would he need two. I'm good at other things, though, and not nearly as close to Dumbledore as you are."

"Why wouldn't he just kill you?" Snape asked. He didn't bother with sugar-coating his thoughts as he spoke them out loud.

"I have more than one use, with the powers I have," Sophie replied. "He knows that and he'll use it to his advantage. Besides, he doesn't want to kill me. I've been around for a long time now and he's had a chance to influence me to be what he wants. He doesn't want to waste all of that time."

Snape wasn't sure this was necessarily true and he said so.

Sophie shrugged, "It is."

"What will he use you for, then?" Snape asked.

Sophie thought for a minute about what Voldemort would use her for and then replied, "Maybe to report to him about Harry Potter. The boy does confide in me as his teacher and a friend. And I'm in the Order, so he would trust me."

"And what of your…powers, as you put it?" Snape sneered.

Sophie wasn't offended, "Voldemort already had me using my legilimency skills against Dumbledore, though it's really being used against him. I don't know all of his plans, but I'm sure he'll come up with something before all of this is done."

She wriggled in the rickety chair that was normally used for students. She didn't really want to talk about this anymore, but supposed they would need to get it out of the way.

"What else do you want to know, Professor?" Sophie asked.

Snape didn't know what there was left for him to ask, though there were plenty of questions still going through his mind.

"No, do you have anything you wish to ask me?" he replied.

Sophie thought about it, but nothing came to mind just then. Nothing ever came to mind when she was put on the spot like this so she just shook her head.

"I'll see you at dinner, then, Ms. Roe," Snape said.

This was an obvious dismissal and Sophie rose from her wobbly chair and said goodbye to the potion's professor before she exited the room. There was so much on her mind and she decided to take a walk through the halls of the castle to get it all in order before she next saw Snape at the evening meal in just a few short hours.


	19. Chapter 19

Sophie ended up walking through the hallways until dinnertime came along and she found herself seated beside Professor Severus Snape. She greeted him with her usual smile and he responded by nodding back at her. The end of the table was quiet for a few long moments until Sophie couldn't take it any longer.

"Professor Snape?" Sophie asked, turning to the man beside her.

He raised an eyebrow and put down his fork as he waited for her to continue.

"Could you pass the potatoes please?" Sophie asked.

There was a pile of potatoes sitting on her side of the table, just to her left, but she just stared up at the man with expectant eyes until he sighed and reached over for the food.

"Thank you," Sophie said.

Snape did not reply.

"Oh please don't treat me like this now," Sophie begged.

The Potion's Master raised his eyebrow at her, "Treat you like what, Ms. Roe? I am simply trying to eat my dinner in peace. I have no idea what you want me to say."

Sophie huffed and sat back in her chair as Snape picked up his food and started to eat once more. She crinkled her nose as she thought about what she wanted to say and what she wanted to hear from him. There were a few moments when she couldn't think of anything at all.

"Christmas," Sophie stated.

Snape looked around the fancily decorated hall and nodded, but didn't say anything.

The girl sighed, "You're not doing anything at all?"

"Christmas is just another holiday for useless gift-giving and receiving. All a person does is pretend to be happy for an entire day, only to go home and be disappointed in the way things turned out. Luckily for me, I already happen to be miserable and no one wishes me to ruin their spirits ahead of time. No, I am not doing anything for Christmas," Snape replied.

"That's no fun," Sophie stated.

"You weren't asked to join, Ms. Roe," Snape said.

Sophie looked up at the man who she was going to be working with and shook her head.

"Well maybe we should meet up or something," she started. "After all, we're both not doing anything and we will be working together."

"I do not believe this to be the best idea," Severus replied.

"Why not?" Sophie asked.

"I am not a pleasant person, Ms. Roe, no matter how you like to picture me when I am not around," Snape answered. "We have very different ideas of what Christmas should be and I would much prefer to spend my time in my rooms catching up on some reading."

Sophie sighed and slumped a little in her seat, "Okay, then."

Severus was conflicted upon hearing her give up so easily. On the one hand, he was thrilled to be getting exactly what he wanted without the hassle of talking the girl into it or fighting over it. On the other, he almost wanted her to push more. Perhaps it would have been nice to spend a Christmas with someone else for a change.

Snape shook that thought out of his mind as Sophia started talking again.

"What about if we meet up sometime before Christmas?" she asked. "I think we should discuss more when we have all of the facts and we have time to process it all."

Snape thought over her suggestion before finally nodding his assent.

"That seems like a reasonable idea," Snape conceded. "You will have to come up with an appropriate date and time and get with me so that I can be prepared."

Sophie nodded her head, but she wondered what he would have to be prepared for. It didn't seem like he was going anywhere, or even really doing anything. Still, she didn't question him on this. He had given in pretty easily.

For some reason, that Sophie couldn't really place, she wanted desperately to see him again and not just at dinner. She wanted to be able to talk to him, like a normal person. Another idea that stuck with her was that maybe if she could get him to talk with her in private, he would be more open.

She was completely stuck on him. Sophie wanted him to like her and she wanted to get to know who exactly he was. Though she wasn't ready for it yet, she wanted him to know who she really was too. Neither of them was quite ready for that yet, though.

They ate dinner in silence and bid each other goodnight. Sophie decided to turn in early and she went up to her rooms to try and get some sleep. Snape also went back to his rooms, but he stayed in his living area, staring into the empty fire, and got lost in his thoughts with a bottle of firewhiskey in his right hand.

Each of them thought about the day that had transpired. They both opened up about something of themselves, though neither was too much. Snape was going over what he learned. Sophie was thinking about the upcoming days and how much he would really find out about her.

They saw each other at meals for the next few days, but that was about it. Sophie didn't know where to go from there and Snape was willing to let her figure everything out. If she didn't put in the effort, he didn't want to talk to her that much anyway.

The next time they really saw each other was when each of their Marks burned and they were called to Voldemort's inner circle.

Sophie was called first, before any of the Death Eaters. The Mark, which was located on the back of her left shoulder (for easier concealment) flared red-hot while she was in the library looking up some interesting creatures for class. Upon feeling the call, she went to Dumbledore's office, alerted him, and quickly made her way off of the school grounds to Apparate away.

When she reappeared, she was in the clutches of none other than Lord Voldemort. His snake-like face was a thing of the past and Sophie ignored it as she looked up into the eyes of her master and bowed low.

"Sophie, how nice of you to show up," Voldemort said, his eyes hard as steel.

"I apologize, I had to alert Dumbledore to my absence," Sophie replied, her body still bent at the waist.

"Yes, acting the part of the spy for old Dumbledore," the Dark Lord stated. "You will be meeting with my true spy tonight. You will reveal yourself to my entire inner circle."

Sophie rose from her bow and looked directly into the Dark Lord's face.

"Who do they believe me to be, my Lord?" she asked.

The man's eyes circled the room and landed back on her as she finished her question and he answered smoothly. It was times like these when you almost wondered how he was evil. He was permitting her to ask questions and stare at him outright. She knew it wouldn't last long.

"You are the daughter of the Roe's. You are powerful and I am using you to my advantage by working on a spell to get us into Hogwarts when the time is right," Voldemort replied.

She knew that this was part of her job. She'd already discussed parts of it with Dumbledore, but he had yet to put any real thought into it. There was still time between the dangers of her breaking into the castle, but there were other dangers that were much more imminent and required his focus.

"When will they arrive?" Sophie asked.

The Dark Lord's red eyes snapped to her blue ones, "When I call them."

His lip curled into a snarl and he called her over to his side, requesting that she pulled down the back of her shirt. She knew what he wished to see.

Voldemort slipped his wand out of his robes and pressed the tip of it into Sophie's back and she gasped at the pain of it as it seemingly sliced through her skin. When he pulled back, she was lightly panting for breath and she closed her eyes for only a slight moment before the pops of the most skilled and dangerous Death Eaters began to sound.

All of them were wearing their masks, but they were pretty easy to tell apart. The air around them was cold and impersonal as everyone in the circle stood quietly.

The last one to arrive was easily Severus Snape, but Sophie made no move suggesting that she recognized him. The Dark Lord walked around the circle, staring into each of the mask's eyes. He ripped off quite a few masks as he went, and the wizards dropped their heads as he spoke to them. When he made it to the beginning again, he turned to addressed his followers.

"My faithful servants," he started. "You must be wondering why I called you here."

No one replied.

Sophie observed the men whose faces were now visible. Of them, were Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott.

Snape was hidden behind his mask, but he didn't get to blend into the background for long. Voldemort called him out.

"Late as always, Snape," the dark wizard announced.

A few of the circle bristled at his sadistic tone. It was obvious to everyone that punishment was about to be doled out. As long as it wasn't aimed at them, most of the circle was excited to watch their fellows be tortured for their wrongdoings.

"Any excuses, Severus?" Voldemort questioned, acting the part of a merciful dictator.

"You know what had to be done, my Lord," Snape answered elusively.

He looked into the eyes of the Dark Lord and it was obvious that information was being passed between them. After only a few seconds, Voldemort pulled back.

"Dumbledore, of course," he said loud enough for the rest of the circle to hear.

Snape did not say anything.

"You must be punished for being late, Snape," the wizard stated.

Even though the warning was given, there was no time for him to prepare.

"Crucio!" Voldemort called.

Snape fell to the ground in a heap of robes. He knew Sophie was in the room, but he had yet to see her face. He guessed she was the one the Dark Lord didn't stop at.

The pain of the curse had Snape's head flying back and nearly smacking against the hard ground. It was immediate that he went to that place in his head, where he kept all of his most private thoughts. And it was there where he found Sophia, her smiling face.

After all that happened, he wasn't sure he could continue on acting better around her and getting along with her, talking at every meal. He was only marginally surprised when he found her face seeping before his eyes and he knew that he couldn't ever get away from her. He would never be able to be that indifferent person around her again.

Snape could hear the girl's voice as she sung and it rung in his ears as if she was right there. He could hear her laughter, like a bell. Her eyes swam before his own, bright and blue, the moonlight shining down on her cold body in the dead of winter.

It was over as quickly as it started and Snape panted just a little bit for only a moment before he stood up again and met the eyes of his master.

The Dark Lord was laughing, a deep and disturbed laugh. He couldn't tell if it was faked, or practiced, but it definitely sounded off. Maybe it was just the evil that seeped into it.

Today, the Dark Lord did not comment on his lack of response to the curse. He seemed happy enough to simply laugh at all of it. This was fine with Snape. He just wanted to get on with the meeting and report back with Dumbledore soon.

Voldemort headed back to the front of the circle because somehow while he'd been torturing Snape, he got closer to the Potion's Master.

The most evil wizard in history swept about, staring at all of his faithful followers, his inner circle. They waited for him to speak. None of them had any idea why this meeting was called. Snape knew and he still wanted for it to just be out with already.

Sophie stood to the side and watched everything with an observant eye. She didn't make any movements, but rather stayed in her spot and took in everything about her. She wondered briefly if any of the Death Eaters noticed that there was an extra among their circle. Or were they really that unobservant?

When Snape had been with the Crutiatus Cruse, Sophie had nearly lost her cool and indifferent stature. She watched wordlessly as he slumped to the ground, but never made a sound. The longer the spell was kept on him, the harder he breathed, but there were no screams or pleas for mercy.

Finally the spell was removed and laughter filled her ears, Voldemort's and a little of the Death Eater's laughter. Snape stood from the ground without a word. He was breathing heavier than normal, but other than that, he everything about him seemed perfect. It was as if he was unaffected by the curse.

Sophie wondered how he could do that and for a second thought to herself that it would be incredibly useful if he could teach her how he did it. There wasn't much time to think about all of this, though. At the moment, Voldemort was addressing his servants.

"My loyal followers," the man started. "It is a pleasure to see you all gathered here again."

No one spoke. There was hardly any movement in the circle and even though he was just hit by the most painful curse known to wizards, Snape was probably the most still among the group.

"I know you are wondering why I called you here tonight," Voldemort continued. "Tonight is a celebration, of sorts. We are welcoming a new member to the inner circle. Sophie, if you would, please."

Voldemort was all about the show. From the way he was acting now, you would never guess him to be so corrupt. The way he conducted himself was as if he were some host at a prestigious party. He would be the host, among all of his wonderful friends who would stab him in the back later.

Sophie knew what he was requesting, or rather, demanding. She raised her wand and her Death Eater mask disappeared so she was facing the circle with her face showing.

"Our newest member, Sophia Roe," Voldemort announced.

About an hour later, every Death Eater was unmasked and the 'party' was in full swing. Just for her, they had gone out and gotten a few muggles from a neighboring town, bringing them back to the circle for their own enjoyment.

Curses flew and screams resounded throughout the forest area where the Dark Lord had chosen to meet. Snape surveyed the chaos with a studied eye. This was like any other party he'd ever been to with the Death Eaters, but he wondered how Sophia was holding up.

He didn't like to admit it, but he was slightly worried about her. She told him that she was part of the Death Eater circle since she was a kid, but he didn't know if she had ever been around anything like this.

Because this was brutal. He hated coming to these parties, these celebrations, because he knew he was expected to act one of the group and take part in the mayhem. Though his students thought him capable of any horrendous act, Severus Snape did not enjoy watching these muggles be tortured for hours on end.

Snape spotted Sophia a second later, her hair blowing in the wind and sweeping across her face. She was standing next to the Dark Lord as he watched over his party. It seemed he really was the host of a prestigious party, even if it wasn't like you might think.

Across the clearing, Snape studied the substitute professor he was working with. She didn't seem to be too out of her element here. In fact, she looked quite normal, almost like she fit in with this crowd. He hardly recognized her.

Sophia's face was not upturned and smiling like it always was at school. She did not seem open to everyone around her, either. The girl looked superior to the people around her, like she was better than joining them. Her entire air was cool and calm and intelligent. He was shocked at the changes.

While he was watching Sophia, the Dark Lord must have seen because he was called over to his master's side at that point in time. Snape did as he was bid.

The Dark Lord looked down at him with a sick smile, "What do you think, Snape? Is my celebration up to your standards?"

There was a sneer in the older man's voice, but Snape ignored this.

"It's something, my Lord," Severus said. "I admit, I was not expecting this."

"You cannot know everything, all the time, Snape," the Dark Lord stated.

Something in his voice was not as friendly as he tried to make himself appear at the moment.

"I have some very important business for you, Severus," the dark wizard said.

Snape looked up at his master, waiting for this 'business' to be told to him. Already, he guessed that it had something to do with Sophia. She hadn't moved from her spot next to the Dark Lord, but neither one of them spoke to each other. There were different boundaries within the darkest circle of wizards ever.

"You and Sophie will be working together," the snake-like man stated. "Because you both are so close to Dumbledore and Harry Potter himself, you will be working on a few projects."

Snape's eyebrows came together as he wondered what projects he would have to complete with the too happy woman. He still couldn't believe how well she seemed to fit in with the rest of the Death Eaters.

Sophie kept her eye on the Potion's Master the ever since he'd Apparated into the circle. She knew he was a mean professor and all, but she didn't really expect him to be a Death Eater and a spy at that! But, now that she saw him here, it made more sense. He really did fit in well with his stone cold personality and penetrating gaze.

She didn't know what to think about working with this man. What were they supposed to be doing, anyway? She had her mission, but what was she supposed to do with him?

There weren't many positions where these wizards to work together. No one even knew every single member's names. They pretty much just followed blindly and climbed the latter to success. Once you were in, you could never get out and the higher you get, the harder your punishments are. It was a circle that never ended.

Snape didn't say anything as he waited for the Dark Lord to tell him what the project was.

"We'll talk after the party," the wizard stated. "Enjoy it, Severus, I put this all together for my most faithful of followers to relax and have a good time."

Severus bowed, "Of course, my Lord."

He stepped back, knowing that this was his dismissal and staying around any longer would not be welcome. Snape's eyes slid to Sophia, who was still standing tall next to the darkest wizard in history. It didn't seem to faze her in the least.

The celebration was wild and the screams echoed around the trees, but didn't go any further than that, getting lost. Snape was called over by Lucius Malfoy, a man who was his supposed friend. Yes, Snape supposed, they got along in school, but now it was all about social statuses and making the best appearances. Snape was the man's Head of House and it would be beneficial to be friends with him, it was beneficial to be friends with a lot of people.

"Severus!" the white-blonde man called from his position, leading a group of wizards in torturing a muggle woman.

She was hanging in mid-air, by her ankle, a spell Snape knew only all too well. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open as she sobbed dramatically. Tears slipped down her forehead, pulled there by the force of gravity.

"Come, my friend, it is your turn!" Lucius yelled.

Snape's lip rose in disgust as he replied coolly, "You wouldn't want me to do that, Lucius. You know I never did play with my food."

Lucius laughed loudly, but he wasn't the one to speak next. Instead, it was Bellatrix's voice calling out from the crowd to taunt him.

Her laugh was a cackle as she shrilly spoke, "Is Snape afraid? What's wrong, can't cast a simple Unforgivable?"

This didn't bother Snape nearly as much as she wanted it to.

"Just because I do not flaunt my skills like you do, Bella, does not mean that I am incapable. In fact, I've found that those who show off tend to be the ones with something to prove," Severus said and he fixed the woman with a cool stare and a raised eyebrow.

"Excuses, excuses, Severus! Why haven't I seen you cast an Unforgivable yet?" the wild-haired witch cried.

Snape turned to the woman who was still wailing at the top of her lungs, finding her eyes were on him, pleading with him silently.

"Avada Kedavra!" he yelled.

A green light shot from the end of his wand and hit the woman square in her chest. Her body froze for half a second, stiffened up, and them slumped. She was dead.

Bellatrix's nose crinkled up, "Not that spell!"

It was too late, the woman was dead.

"Thank you, Bella," Lucius said dryly.

He dropped the woman from the air and she landed with a thick thud. The man didn't even glance back as he moved on to the next muggle, waiting and tied up.

Finally the party ended and the Death Eaters Apparated away. It was only Snape, Sophia, and the Dark Lord left, standing in the clearing with blood covering the ground and an air about it that was malicious and dark.

Sophie waited in silence for Voldemort to say his piece. She was curious to know what he wanted of them, her and Snape.

"Ah, Severus, Sophia," Voldemort stated calmly.

He was still playing the part of pleasant host. His voice was easy and if you closed your eyes you might be able to forget that he was a snake-like monster standing before you.

"You two will be working on a project together," he repeated himself from earlier.

"What would you have us do, my Lord?" Snape questioned.

Sophie watched them both closely, her heart pounding fast, but steady in her chest.

"You will be working on a potion that lessens the aging process," the wizard said. "I know the Ministry was working on it at one point and I need you to continue this research. Can it be done?"

Snape was surprised the man even asked if there was a chance of making this potion and he had to think about it carefully before he answered. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sophia nodding slowly.

"I believe so, my Lord," she spoke softly.

"It would be a very tricky potion and it would be extremely temperamental, though," Snape finished.

The Dark Lord's eyes lit up, "But it can be done."

"Yes," Severus replied.

"You have until the end of the school year," the Dark Lord stated quickly.

There was no room for discussion.

"We would need more time than that, my Lord, we don't even know where the Ministry left off," Snape replied calmly. He had plenty of work negotiating with this wizard.

"I'm sure you will come up with something, Severus," the wizard snapped. It seemed his good mood had worn off.

"Of course," Snape said.

"The end of the school year," the Dark Lord reminded them.

This was their dismissal and they slowly started to walk away together.

"I forgot!" the Dark Lord stated.

Both Sophie and Snape turned around.

"Don't question me, Severus," Voldemort said.

Snape was on the ground in a matter of seconds. When Voldemort wanted something, it was done and quickly.

Sophie watched with cool indifference as her partner fell to the ground in a heap. Just like at the beginning of the night, he didn't make a sound, but quietly panted as he writhed in pain. She wondered how he could do it just briefly.

On the outside, she was the perfect mask of a stone cold personality. Inside, she was dying to help him, to pick him back up or maybe take the curse for him. But that would be foolish and Sophie knew it. So she stayed back and kept her eyes on the scene in front of her.

Snape immediately went back to that place in his mind and thought of her again. Sophia Roe's face was like a mantra playing over and over again in his head. Her face was what helped him when he felt that the pain was too much.

The curse seemed to last an eternity to both Sophie and Snape and it seemed like Voldemort was trying to make a point because this was truly longer than normal. It was endless, until the Dark Lord finally dropped his wand and laughed loudly, his eyes glistening with a madness that was the reason he was feared by all.

"You may go," Voldemort commanded.

Snape stood shakily and Apparated away on the spot. Sophie followed him without a word to her master. She found him outside the gates of the castle, his body shivering, but his face already twisted into a scowl that didn't exactly look like pain.

Sophie rushed to the Potion's Master, attempting to help him. The man pushed her off of his body roughly.

"What do you think you're doing?" he nearly yelled.

Sophie looked at him with wide eyes, "I'm trying to help you!"

"I do not need help, infernal woman," Snape replied as he pushed through the gates and started the long walk back up to the castle.

He could've just Apparated back to his rooms, but for some reason, he hadn't.

"You're going to fall over," Sophie argued, chasing after him. "Let me help you."

Snape snarled at her, "I am fine."

"You're not," she stated, putting an arm under his to try and help him.

"Let go of me, infernal woman," he growled, turning to face her and yell at her properly.

But Sophie was too close and his robes got caught somewhere along the way, pulling the both of them to the ground. Snape tumbled down on the witch, her squeal echoing in the silence.

"Look what you've done," Severus grumbled as he started to pull himself up.

It wasn't until he looked up that he realized how close they actually were. Their bodies were pressed together, Snape holding himself off of her by his arms, hers trapped under them. His dark eyes met her light ones and things just stopped.

Snape didn't believe in anything like love. He didn't have any reference on the subject. Even if he did, he didn't believe it was something for him. But he couldn't explain the way everything paused as he looked into this woman's eyes. He was drawn to her and it was more than just a physical attraction.

He could feel the thud of her heart beat and the slow rise and fall of her chest moving against his. She didn't push him off and she didn't say a word. It was like she was as captivated by this as he was and Snape didn't stop to analyze it.

All Sophie could think of was how close his face was to hers. She wanted more than anything for him to just lean down and touch his lips to hers. She wanted to be brave enough to stretch her neck and kiss him. She didn't need to though.

He wasn't analyzing it and so Snape did exactly what he wanted to do, what her eyes were telling him to do. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed her lightly. He watched, fascinated, as she didn't pull away, but rather closed her eyes and leaned closer to him.

Snape followed her example and shut his eyes as well. He let himself forget things for just a moment and enjoyed the feel of her soft flesh against his. A picture flashed before his eyes just as her arms wrapped around his back and he gasped, pulling back. The picture was Lily Evans.

Sophie watched as he suddenly pulled away from her and stood up, brushing off his robes. Slowly, she copied his actions. She studied him as he stood still, staring off into the distance.

Severus Snape turned back to the witch who was eyeing him.

"That was inappropriate and wrong," the Potion's Master said. "We are to be partners working on two projects and that wasn't right."

Sophie begged to differ, but she didn't say that. She just watched him with round eyes as he looked back at the castle.

"Back to the school, then?" he asked.

The witch was surprised he could blow it off so easily, but she could tell there was something that spooked him. It was so sudden when he stopped and it was him who initiated it! She wondered why he pulled back, what it was that he thought of.

"Of course," Sophie replied.

They walked back to the school in silence, both thinking about what just transpired between them. Each felt that nothing would ever be the same between them, but neither said it aloud. It was felt on the air, an unspoken agreement between them that something had changed.

When they arrived at the castle, the doors were unlocked and they slipped inside quietly. Sophie glanced over at the Potion's Master to find that he stopped walking. She paused and faced him, her heart racing in her chest.

Sometime on the walk up to the school, Snape stopped shaking. Or maybe that was when they kissed. Either way, he was done now. He looked steady and strong and maybe even a little mean, but that was the way his face always was.

Snape sighed and looked down on Sophia. His eyes bored down into hers, finding that she was watching him intently and her eyes were brimming with an emotion he couldn't place.

"We should get to work on that potion soon," Snape said.

Sophie nodded, snapping out of her daze. She'd gotten lost in her thoughts as she stared at him.

"Right," she agreed. "When do you wanna get together?"

"Be in my office after dinner on Saturday," Snape ordered. "I have some research to do before then."

Sophie was a little startled by his demanding of her, but she didn't say anything.

"Okay," she replied. "I'll be there."

Snape turned on his heel and promptly started down the hall toward the stairs to the dungeons. Sophie watched as his back retreated down the steps and she couldn't help but feel she had to say one last thing.

"Professor Snape!" Sophie called.

Severus stopped and faced her again, his eyebrow raised as if he wanted nothing more than to get away from her.

Sophie didn't have anything she really wanted to say and so she fumbled for a moment with her words, trying to think of why she would have called his name.

"Goodnight," she said, shrugging a little.

Snape paused, then slowly nodded once. He walked back down the stairs of the dungeons, leaving Sophie watching his retreating figure nervously.

Sophie skipped up the stairs toward her rooms, going over the day in her head. Everything that happened, but out of it all, the one thing that really stuck out in her mind was that kiss.

She was elated that he had kissed her and a little stunned at his sudden pulling away, but that didn't bother her too much. Just as long as he didn't start ignoring her, she was okay with that. And they would start seeing each other on a regular basis, which she was looking forward to. Sophie wanted to see what he was like in his element and not at meal times or with his students. She wanted to know what he was like by himself, without outside influence.

When she made it up to her rooms, she remembered that she probably should have gone and talked to Dumbledore about everything that happened, but she was too tired. Figuring that she could discuss this with him in the morning, Sophie fell into bed and closed her eyes, feeling utterly content.

After Snape got to his rooms, he sighed with relief, closing the door behind him. The night had gone well, too well. Two things kept running through his mind. The first was the feel of Sophia under him, her soft lips giving way to his own. The second was the picture of Lily Evans. He kept seeing her disapproving face and he could hear her voice in his head, telling him that he killed her and he didn't deserve this new girl. Lily's voice told him that he would just hurt her too.

Severus walked through his front room and into the bedroom, slipping off his robes. He fell into bed and sighed with the conflicting thoughts. For the moment, he pushed Lily from his mind and fell asleep remembering that kiss.


	20. Chapter 20

Both Severus and Sophie were busy working up to their meeting Saturday evening. Each of them found time to speak with Dumbledore about the meeting with the Dark Lord, but most of the next few days were spent searching through books, though they rarely ran into each other.

Sophie had pull from the Potion's Department in the Ministry, so she was able to question a few things and even get a copy of the notes they took on the aging potion. She spent hours at a table in the library, looking through restricted section books and trying to figure out if anyone else had come up with anything close to what they were trying to do.

Snape spent his few days pouring over the books in his rooms, only occasionally stopping by the library for something specific. There were some ingredients that he wanted to consider using that were normally not combined together, for very obvious reasons. He found himself in both Knockturn and Diagon Alley more than once searching for something specific he thought might work in the potion and he had a list going of ways he thought might work.

Because they both visited the library, they were bound to run into each other. Snape spotted Sophie on several occasions, but didn't stop to speak to her. It wasn't unfriendly, what he was doing, he just was getting on with what he knew needed to be done. She didn't speak to him either, so focused on her work that she was.

They did see each other at meal times, though, and this was the time where they could talk. The kiss they shared after the inner circle meeting wasn't spoken of and it didn't appear to have changed anything between them. They both continued on as if nothing was different and they both knew something was.

It was Saturday evening and Sophie skipped lightly down the stairs of the castle, no students around to hinder her. The Head Table had finally been pushed away and the four house tables were gone. There was just one, in the middle of the room, to accommodate everyone.

Christmas was only a week away and the Great Hall looked fantastic, though there were hardly any kids around to see it. Sophie could feel festive cheer just seeping off a few of the people seated at the table like they couldn't contain themselves. Dumbledore was one of them.

The old man had a twinkle in his eye as Sophie stepped into the room and found that there were only two seats left, at the very end of the table. This did not bother her and she sat down next to a third year Hufflepuff girl she recognized from class. As she looked around the table, she noticed that someone was missing.

"Looking for someone, Ms. Roe?" Snape's voice questioned from behind her.

Sophie's head swiveled around to find none other than Professor Snape standing behind her. He smirked as he sat down beside her. She blushed and ducked her head, pulling the food that just appeared closer to her.

"How was your day, Professor Snape?" Sophie asked as she spooned mashed potatoes onto her plate.

Snape was not a man of many words and he answered in compliance with this as he said, "Productive. And yours?"

Sophie's smile was brilliant as she replied, "Good. I spent most of it in the library, looking up things for that potion. We're still working on it after dinner, right?"

Snape nodded slowly, "My office."

"Right," Sophie stated.

They ate without talking too much, which was fine for both of them. Not being at the Head Table and being squished in with everyone had its disadvantages. They couldn't talk about private things without everyone else overhearing.

"I've heard Ms. Roe is an excellent singer," Professor Sprout was saying.

Sophie met with Sprout every Monday and Wednesday night. With all of the students gone for the holidays and the snow that was really coming down now, they didn't have the need for the plants that she normally collected.

The young witch looked up upon hearing her name and her face flushed pink as she shook her head. The entire table was looking at her and she wished they wouldn't stare.

"Oh no, I'm not…" Sophie started, but the Headmaster cut her off.

He had a bright sparkle in his eye as he spoke over her, "Ms. Roe sung in the choir back when she went to school here. Her voice was one of the best to pass through these halls."

Sophie continued to shake her head as heads turned to her with interest. They had just been talking about having a live performance on Christmas Eve and possibly even Christmas itself. She didn't want to sing in front of everybody, she didn't want to sing in front of anybody at all.

"Professor Roe?" the Hufflepuff girl asked from beside her.

She looked down into the brown eyes that were staring up at her.

"Could you sing on Christmas Eve?" the girl asked. "It would be so much fun."

Sophie smiled, but felt as if she were being backed into a corner. From her left, Snape watched the scene unfold curiously. He heard the girl sing on a regular basis and knew for a fact that she had an amazing voice. Now he wondered why she was so furiously denying this opportunity to sing in front of people.

"A few people could do stuff," Ms. Bramer suggested.

Snape knew the girl from his third year class and she generally faded into the background with the know-it-alls and complete dunderheads that surrounded her. She was a fairly good student and though she didn't destroy her potions, they weren't her passion.

Snape watched as Sophia slowly nodded her head.

"I'll think about it," she agreed.

The third year girl's eyes lit up as she squealed.

"Thank you, Professor Roe!" the girl cried.

Sophia smiled and sighed as she went back to her food

Snape figured he could ask her about it later, when they were working on the potion for the Dark Lord.

Dinner ended at an especially slow rate, though Snape couldn't understand why. He thought it might be the fact that he was stuck around all these people who really had nothing intelligent to say at all. When the meal vanished, he stood and started out of the Great Hall.

Sophie followed him, catching up and walking to his left.

Severus looked down at the witch and nodded, not saying a word. They glided down the stairs to the dungeons and Snape unwarded his office door before letting Sophia enter in front of him. This was his personal office, meant for his own potion-making.

The potion's professor watched as Sophia took in the space around her. There were two cauldrons set up in the center of the room, plenty of table space surrounding them. The walls were lined with ingredients and things of that nature, some of which were purely for the enjoyment of having weird objects on his walls, a lot of them were rare.

The room was dark, like the rest of the dungeons. Though it had the appearance to maybe be wet or dirty, as Sophie looked around she realized that it was neither. The area was kept cool and clean, not a spot anywhere. She figured it could have been the black walls and the cement floor that made it seem dirty at first.

Snape closed the door behind him and walked to the farthest cauldron, rolling up his sleeves. Normally, he tried to hide his Mark from people in general. There were reasons he didn't show it, but now he was in the company of another Death Eater, he didn't think it would matter.

That was, until she rolled up her own sleeves. Snape glanced down at her arm and was astonished and slightly angry. She had no Mark!

Sophie caught the man staring and looked down at her forearm, then back up to him. As her eyes passed over the same spot on his arm, she caught sight of what made him look like that. His Dark Mark, and she didn't have one.

"You don't have a Mark?" Snape questioned.

Sophie grimaced, "I do."

Snape looked accusingly down at her arm where there was plainly nothing marring her pale skin.

"It's not on my arm," she said.

Severus watched as Sophia started tugging at her robes until they slid down her arms. She turned her back to him and for a moment he wondered what she was doing. Then he saw it. The top of a black skull just peaked over her black tank-top and she pulled it down lower until the entire thing could be seen.

There it was, the black stain that sat on her skin. He didn't know seeing the Mark on her would affect him, but it did. Something so evil on the skin of a woman who seemed so perfect. Snape didn't like the way it stood out on her body.

He was curious about why she got to have it on a place so hidden, rather than an exposed forearm like all of the other Death Eaters. Snape voice this curiosity aloud.

"I got it when I was sixteen," Sophie replied. "It had to be somewhere the professors and other kids wouldn't see it."

Snape accepted this answer easily enough and moved on to the next subject. Potions.

"What have you found out about the potion?" Snape asked.

Sophia sighed, "No one's ever found a way to make something like this. There are a few attempts, but they pretty much died out. I know a few methods that won't work, though."

Snape nodded, "I've got a list of ways we could try."

They set to work and for a while they did things quietly and nearly mechanically, only occasionally consulting each other on what they were doing. Each of them was working on a different way to make the potion, that way they could discard ideas faster.

Maybe half an hour into their time together, Snape remembered the conversation at dinner. He was still curious as to why she didn't want to sing, but he wasn't quite sure how he could ask.

Severus did not need to start the conversation as Sophia started speaking, her eyes darting up from her chopping to see him.

"Will you be doing a presentation on Christmas Eve, Professor Snape?" the girl asked.

Snape looked up at her to see a teasing expression on her face. Normally, he hated teasing. He didn't take it well after his years at Hogwarts with the marauders down his throat all the time. Sophia's tiny grin didn't bother him, though. Something about the way she said it and her face as she waited for him to reply was innocent and he didn't take offence at all.

With a sneer, Snape replied with a disgusted, "No."

Her laugh echoed through the room and Snape listened to it closely.

"You're going to sing," Severus stated.

He watched Sophia as her grin faded to a slight frown.

"You're not?" he questioned.

Sophia chopped a root and stared down at the table and he watched as she struggled to say find the words she wished to say. Her blue eyes snapped up to meet his black.

"Yes," she said.

Snape was slightly confused, "Yes you're not going to sing or yes you are? Ms. Roe I know you can articulate yourself better than that."

The witch sighed and stopped cutting as she stared into his eyes, "Yes I'm going to sing."

"Then why the faces?" he questioned. "Afraid you're not as good as Dumbledore gives you credit for?"

She looked offended that he would suggest such a thing and she shook her head wildly.

"Of course not," she replied. She paused and looked down before continuing, "I haven't sung in front of people since my parents died."

Snape sneered, "And you're afraid if you do they'll come back to haunt you?"

"No!" Sophia cried.

It was odd, the way he felt seeing the witch get so worked up. She was fumbling, trying to find the right words, her face turning a bright shade of pink. Snape continued to goad her.

"Then what are you so afraid of, Ms. Roe?"

Sophia didn't answer, but rather kept her head down. It seemed that she was done trying to give excuses and they were down to the real reason she didn't want to sing in front of people.

Snape waited a minute to see if she would tell him herself.

"I'm afraid to mess up," she stated quietly. "Singing was one of the things people made fun of me for when I went to school here. What if it's just like then?"

Sophie didn't know why she was telling him this. There was no reason for the Potion's Master to know her secrets, but she seemed intent on telling him nearly all of them.

The air in the room had gone from light and teasing to a quiet that made Sophie want to run back to her rooms. Why did she tell him that? Why did he keep pressing until she blurted out this little detail?

Snape didn't know how to respond to the answer she gave him. Honestly, he didn't know what kind of answer he was expecting, but this wasn't it. Sophia was so happy and upbeat, everyone in the school adored her. He couldn't imagine her at school, constantly being picked on like he was.

"Who's here to make fun of you?" Snape asked, turning to his cauldron and stirring three times clockwise. "And if they do you can just take off points."

Sophie didn't know why didn't just leave it at that, but she looked up at him with glassy eyes and watched his movements.

"What about the teachers?" she questioned.

"They'll be courteous even if you are horrid," Snape replied. "They've had practice with me for years."

He glanced up just in time to see Sophia grin.

The air in the room lightened again and they continued their potions silently.

"Why do you think Voldemort needs this?" she asked.

Snape looked up sharply upon hearing her speak his name. He'd never heard a Death Eater say it and even he was in the habit of calling him 'the Dark Lord', but perhaps Dumbledore had more influence on her.

Sophia gestured to their cauldrons, "Don't wizards live extra long anyway?"

"Of course, but think about the possibilities," Snape replied. "You wouldn't have to worry about growing old, even if it did come slower than muggles. You wouldn't grow old. An entire option of death would be wiped out."

He watched as Sophia wrinkled her nose.

"I'd rather just grow old. I don't need to live forever like my…like he seems to," she stated.

Snape caught her slip of the tongue and wondered what that was about, but he didn't ask her about it. There were so many mysteries to this witch and he wasn't sure he would ever get a straight answer out of her.

They worked in silence once more and Sophie crossed one potion off the list. In the final stages, she found that the unicorn hair mixed badly with the slug mucus and the potion exploded. Green liquid splattered her body, covering her face, hair and robes. It dripped slowly to the ground, the only sound in the room that of it hitting the floor.

Sophie didn't know what she should do. She didn't know the effects of what she'd mixed. A potion before it was finished could be very dangerous, especially an experimental one.

Sophie's wide eyes wandered over to Snape's, but her body didn't move. She didn't want to cause any changes to the already testy potion.

Snape raised his wand and muttered a spell, the potion vanishing. All that was left was an odd smell that would probably linger for a day or two.

"Do you know what went into that potion?" Snape asked, his voice calm.

Sophie pointed to a list that sat beside her cauldron on the table. Any potion that had gotten on it was gone and so Severus picked it up.

"What step were you on?" he inquired.

"I just added the unicorn hair," Sophie answered.

She was terrified that Snape would be angry and was just waiting for him to start yelling at her. She heard all of things that the students said about him and now she felt just like one of those dunderheads he talked about, messing things up. Her heart thudded quickly in her chest as she waited for him to explode or make some snarky remark.

Severus Snape surprised her by doing neither.

The man sighed with relief as he looked everything over and then placed the paper back on the table. He faced Sophia with a calm expression.

"There was nothing that could potentially harm you," he stated, though he figured she probably knew that. "None of the key ingredients should have been added until the end."

Sophie nodded, still waiting for that biting remark.

"The unicorn hair probably reacted violently with the mucus, I'll have to cross that mixture off a few of the potions we have listed," Snape said.

He didn't know why the girl seemed to be suddenly afraid, as if he would freak out on her or something. As he thought about it, it made a little more sense and he had to fight back a smirk. He was the potion's professor and she just messed up. With all of the things she heard about him, she was probably expecting some big explosion on his part.

"It's too late to start on a new one," Snape stated, deciding to ignore this fact altogether. "And mine has to sit overnight. Come back tomorrow?"

Sophie nodded, finally realizing that he wasn't going to flip out over the potion.

"What time?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"After dinner?" he replied.

Sophie agreed and started toward the door. Snape finished everything he need to do and followed her out. He placed a ward on the door and turned back to the girl that was staring at him.

She didn't know why, but Sophie didn't want to move. She wanted to stay, to talk to him more, or maybe for him to just say goodnight first for once. But Snape didn't say anything and he waited silently for her to speak.

"Goodnight, Professor Snape," she finally said, when she couldn't bare the quiet any longer.

Severus nodded as he always did, just a dip of his head, "Ms. Roe."

The young witch smiled and Snape turned on his heel to walk away. Sophie watched his retreating back with a sigh before starting toward her rooms as well, heading in the opposite direction.


	21. Chapter 21

Christmas was only two days away and Sophie was both apprehensive and excited. She was nervous about singing in front of the school, tomorrow on Christmas Eve, and she was also anxious about the day itself.

There were a number of reasons why one could be nervous before Christmas Day. Some people had house guests and others didn't have any. Sophie did not let this bother her in the slightest.

The young substitute professor was full of nerves because she had gone and bought the Potion's Master a Christmas present. She didn't care one way or another if the man gave her anything in return. Sophie didn't care much about presents for herself at all. She was worried, though, that perhaps he wouldn't like his or he might be angry or upset with her for getting him a gift.

The two didn't talk about Christmas once in the time they spent together working on the potion for Voldemort. They met up three times since that first night and they hadn't come up with anything that worked so far. This was unsurprising; neither of them expected results so soon.

They did talk about a lot of things, but the looming holiday was never one of them. Sophie bought her present for Snape ages ago, back on the first Hogsmead trip when she followed him around like a lost puppy, and now she was unsure if it was a good idea or not. Their relationship was so unstable, she didn't have the slightest clue where it was going, and she didn't know whether a present was the right thing at the moment.

Even though it was Monday, Professor Sprout called off their bi-weekly meetings for the week. It was the eve of Christmas Eve and the woman wanted to do nothing but relax and get ready for the busy holiday hanging over their heads. Sophie filled this empty space with another night with Professor Snape, working on that potion in the dungeons.

It was just around lunchtime and Sophie confirmed her meeting with Snape earlier in the day after breakfast ended. Now she had nothing to do but wait. Her eyes roamed her room before she stood and grabbed the thickest robes she owned, along with a large cloak. Skipping her way down to the Great Hall, she only stopped by for a quick bite before she headed out again.

Snow covered the immense grounds of Hogwarts, at least a foot high, and Sophie trudged a path through it, occasionally prancing on the top of particularly packed areas. The sky was clear blue, the sun shimmering down and reflecting off the perfect snow with its blinding light.

Sophie made her way across the grounds, unconsciously making her way toward the lake. She let her feet lead her and let her mind wander to what she planned on singing the next day at dinner. Would it be a Christmas song? A muggle or a wizard song? What would she wear? Would she need music or should she just sing by herself?

There were so many thoughts running through her mind and she didn't know how to answer a single one of them. Perhaps a walk around the lake would clear her head. Maybe sitting at the edge, by that large tree she used to spend her days at, would help her sort things out.

It wasn't until she was nearly on said tree that she noticed the figure standing under it. There was no cover for it to hide, with the leaves being gone and its blackness sticking out like a sore thumb, so Sophie had no idea how she missed it before. For half a second she considered that it was Lord Voldemort, standing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest like he owned it. She dismissed this thought as soon as it entered her head.

Though Voldemort allowed himself to wander the Forest while was inhuman, he would not do so now. It was much too risky while he was in this state, with a body that could be killed and Dumbledore being so close. He wouldn't ever take that much risk unless he had a plan. Sophie knew for a fact that he had no plan.

The black figure was not Voldemort. Sophie grew closer to see that this was a person with intents that were not as evil. Professor Severus Snape was standing on the edge of the both the lake and the Forbidden Forest, faced away from her.

He didn't acknowledge her as she came up behind him and she wasn't sure if he even knew she was there. Sophie decided against making her presence known. From behind his back, she was able to observe him without being observed herself.

"Didn't your parents teach you that staring is rude, Ms. Roe?" Snape's voice asked, startling the girl from her thoughts.

Sophie blushed, a deep pink color that evened out what was already red from the cold. She looked down at the ground in embarrassment, her head dipping low so that her hair fell over her face.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Snape, I didn't mean to," the young witch apologized, her eyes darting up to meet his.

Snape wasn't angry at her at all, but he found it amusing that she was so nervous around him. He was also slightly amused by the fact that she thought she was watching him while he didn't know. Of course he knew that she was there. A seasoned Death Eater, he was aware of her presence as soon as she stepped out of the castle doors and long before she ever caught sight of him.

"Don't let it happen again," Severus stated.

Sophia nodded quickly and went on to continue stammer apologies. Once was quite enough for him, though, and he cut her off.

"That's enough, Ms. Roe. It will not happen again, I am satisfied," Snape said.

He watched as she peaked at him from under her heavy black eyelashes, blue eyes meeting his dark ones. She smiled at him and he scowled as he always did.

"I just wanted to come and clear my head," the girl told him. "When I saw you, I almost thought you were Voldemort."

The Potion's Master raised his eyebrow in the usual manner, but didn't say a word.

"I have no idea what I'm going to sing tomorrow," Sophia explained.

His eyes snapped down to her and he immediately said the first thing that came to mind, "Not another horribly cliché Christmas carol."

For a split second, Snape was worried he might have offended her by his slip. He hadn't really thought about what he said before it came out and only now realized that may have been exactly what she was planning on singing. Normally, he didn't care if he said something rude, but this was a girl he was trying to stay on good terms with. She didn't hate him yet and he wanted to keep it that way for a while longer, if he could help it.

He didn't worry long as her laugh rang out sharply, surprised by his quick and honest opinion on the matter. Snape watched as Sophia laughed for a good minute or more, clutching her stomach as her face fell into a wide smile. Slowly the laughter wore off into little giggles and she kept grinning as she faced him again.

"Sorry," she said softly.

Snape didn't know how to reply so he continued to watch her.

"Right, so no Christmas songs," Sophie stated. "I'm assuming you don't enjoy muggle music either?"

The witch looked up at the man who she was so intrigued by and waited for his answer. She didn't know why, but his answer meant a lot to her and she thought she would probably go with whatever he suggested.

"A few songs are acceptable," the man admitted. "But I would stay away from it just to be safe."

Snape admittedly did not like most music, muggle or otherwise. Much of it was too fast, too loud, and meant absolutely nothing at all. He didn't need to listen to songs written by children, singing about love and parties, when he didn't enjoy any of those things anyway. He'd only ever been in love once and never in his life had he been invited to a party that didn't involve torture and murder in some way.

Sophie took this into consideration and nodded. He was probably right, she thought, she didn't want to pick a muggle song only to realize that half the people listening to her didn't know what the words meant.

"Any suggestions?" she asked.

They stood side by side, facing the lake that was frozen over and covered by so much snow that you could hardly tell it was there. Snape wondered about what he would have her sing if he could pick any song. He didn't know.

"You cannot get out of picking a song by asking me, Ms. Roe," Snape replied.

He heard her sigh heavily.

"Fine," the girl huffed as though she were a child who had been told she couldn't have a toy.

Neither of them had any more to say and they were quiet for a few minutes.

"Did you get lunch?" Sophie asked, looking up at the Potion's Master.

She just realized that she didn't see him in the Great Hall when she grabbed her own food and he must have been here long before she arrived.

Snape looked down at the witch, finding her eyes searching his own.

He answered honestly, "No."

"Aren't you hungry?" Sophia questioned.

Severus turned away from her and looked back over the lake. He wasn't comfortable with the way she was asking these questions, seemingly concerned for him. He didn't do concerned; in fact, he didn't do feelings at all.

"I'm fine," he answered.

The Potion's Master was fine. He didn't need food at the moment and before she mentioned it, he hadn't even realized he missed a meal. His body didn't process the loss of nutrition as another wizard's might.

Sophie's eyes wandered down over the man and she grabbed his hand without thinking. Snape startled at her touch.

"What are you –"

Sophie started pulling him through the path she made on the way down, not bothering to dignify the man with an answer. He pulled away, slightly angry that she touched him without his permission. Snape wasn't a touchy-feely man and didn't like when others placed their hands on his person.

The girl stopped and stared up at him with her wide eyes, as if she didn't know what she did wrong.

"What do you think you are doing?" Snape snarled, just barely holding back the words 'infernal woman' from the end of his sentence.

"You can't just go hungry!" Sophie stated, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Severus was not happy with this answer, "I think I can decide when I need to eat and when I don't, Ms. Roe."

Substitute professor, Sophia Roe, paused and looked at the sneering, snarling face of the Potion's Master. Though you could hardly tell with all of the robes he was wearing, she found that he was much too skinny. She wanted to help him, to forcefully feed him until he was of proper health.

Sophie sighed, "I was trying to help you. I thought you should eat, with all of the things going on involving Voldemort and spying and missions."

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Snape stated curtly.

Sophie nodded, defeated, "Of course."

The girl did not leave or head back to the castle as he might have expected her to, but rather stayed at his side and stared at the ground for a long moment. Long enough so that Severus was slightly worried about the overly happy witch. His eyes darted down to her face.

Snape found that Sophia wasn't doing much and it bothered him. She was obviously thinking hard about something.

"I am headed up to the castle," Snape said.

He watched as Sophia's head slowly came up and she nodded. Snape didn't think she would just let him walk away like that, but maybe he was wrong. He decided to start up the path and see if she would follow. The girl did not disappoint.

Quietly, they wound their way back up to the heavy doors of the castle. It seemed that they were the only ones to come through it lately, with all of the students away and no reason for the professors to need it.

As they walked, snow started to come down in little flurries. This did nothing for Snape, except perhaps annoy him, until he heard a little giggle coming from his left.

Eyes darting downward, Severus Snape saw the half-smile graced his partner's face once more. Flakes of crystallized water fell on the girl's face, hair, and robes. From a distance, it might look as if she had bad dandruff, but from here, she looked almost ethereal. Her eyes batted and she giggled again as more snow drifted into her eyelashes and across her face.

The breath was stolen from his lungs as he gazed at this witch. Sophia lifted her hands and let the snow fall in her palms, the tiny icicles melting immediately in the warmth. She raised her face to the sky and smiled wide.

They had come to a stop in their trek up to the castle, but it seemed that neither one of them noticed as they delighted in the beauty before them. Together, they stayed in that spell for what felt like hours, but were in reality only a few short minutes. It was broken when Sophia lowered her head and sharp blue eyes met black ones.

Snape's face fell to a scowl instantly, but Sophie saw the way he was looking at her when he thought she couldn't see him. Secretly, she was thrilled, but she contained it so she didn't scare him away.

"I am not going to stand in the cold all day, Ms. Roe," Severus Snape stated. "Are you coming or not?"

Sophie nodded and scampered after him, a small smirk on her face. They entered the castle a few moments later.

The warmth of the school burned her fingers and face as she followed the Potion's Master through the doors and Sophie trailed after him rubbing her hands on her thighs to warm them quicker. She was so intent on this that she did not notice where they were headed until they stood directly before a familiar portrait.

"Ms. Roe?" Snape asked.

"I thought you said you weren't hungry!" Sophie accused.

The Slytherin shrugged, "I merely said I could decide for myself when I was hungry, Ms. Roe."

Sophie stared at the man with a dumbfounded expression for a few seconds longer before she grinned, as if just being clued in on some joke that she hadn't gotten before. She nodded.

"After you," Snape stated, gesturing to the portrait of the fruit.

Sophie tickled the pear and the giggling fruit admitted them to the crowded kitchens of Hogwarts. It appeared house-elves did not take breaks when the children were away. They were crowded and working away busily, but not too busy that they couldn't stop what they were doing to greet the two professors with enthusiasm. The smell of something wonderful came from the depths of the kitchens and the two picked up on it instantly.

"Miss Sophie Roe!" a small elf squeaked. "Master Snape, Sir! What can Whimsy do for yous both?"

Whimsy the elf was big-eyed like all house-elves, but instead of a normal color, like blue or green or brown or even yellow, they were a strange sort of light purple. She had large, bat-like ears that flapped slightly as she talked, like a dog wagging its tail. To cover her body, she wore what looked to be a faded yellow pillowcase.

Snape grimaced at the peppy creature, almost ready to give up on this torturous idea, but he didn't have to speak. Sophia's voice came from beside him, filled with utter delight.

"Professor Snape and I would like something to eat," the witch explained. "Is there anywhere we can wait where it is quieter?"

The elf's large eyes grew even wider and they twinkled with happiness, "Oh yes, Whimsy will show Miss Sophie Roe and Master Snape, Sir where theys can wait. Follow, Whimsy please."

Snape was unsure if following the creature was a good idea, but Sophia was already walking through the crowd and he traipsed after her. Elves bowed out of the way one either side of him, parting as though he were a celebrity – or a monster. He thought the second option was more likely.

Surprisingly enough, the creature did find them a space in the kitchens where there were less elves and the noise was brought down to a tolerable level. Snape was marginally impressed.

"Whimsy uses the quiet to make Professor Headmaster Dumbledore's favorite woolly socks!"

Severus would have sneered if he hadn't seen the witch's face. She was grinning and she answered the creature with some positive remark that sent the thing scampering away in delight.

They sat together in the relative quiet.

"She's nice," Sophia stated.

This time, Snape did sneer. He didn't have to like everything and he wouldn't change his opinions just because Sophia Roe, the substitute professor, Hufflepuff, said differently.

Sophia didn't seem offended by his lack of enthusiasm, though. Instead, she looked like she expected it and that maybe it didn't bother her. Snape didn't think that she could possibly believe both things; that the creature was nice and still like him at the same time, but he didn't say anything.

When Whimsy came back, she carried a tray with an assortment of foods. Some were from the lunch Snape missed, but Sophie recognized. Others were fresh and newly-made, maybe for dinner, or perhaps the elf made something just for them as a snack. Either way, Sophie was very pleased with the results of their venture down here.

She also brought drinks, which ranged from firewhiskey, to butterbeer, to pumpkin juice. Snape took a glass of the whiskey. Sophie had a bottle of butterbeer, knowing she couldn't handle alcohol very well at all.

The two professors ate in silence. Sophie didn't know what to say and Snape didn't like to speak. It was comfortable. Neither of them felt they needed to say anything to fill the quiet. Snape was thankful for this.

Their impromptu lunch ended and they rose from the unnaturally peaceful section of the kitchens, starting for the door. Whimsy found them before they could make an escape.

"Leaving so soon, Master Snape, Sir? Miss Sophie Roe?" the house-elf asked. "No desserts?"

Seeing his upper lip curl, Sophie answered the small creature before Snape could.

"That's alright, Whimsy," the witch replied kindly. "We'll be sure to have some at dinner, though."

Whimsy's ears sagged slightly and Snape would have been content to make his getaway then, but Sophie couldn't leave the elf sad like she was.

"Did you have something in mind?" Sophie asked.

Snape watched as the elf's ears perked back up and the wide eyes glittered with pride.

"Oh, yes, Miss Sophie Roe! Whimsy has just the dessert for Miss Sophie Roe and Master Snape, Sir!"

The little elf bounced off into the chaos of its kind and Snape turned to Sophia. She was looking at him with an apologetic grimace.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Ms. Roe, I will not be staying here for another hour with these creatures surrounding me," Snape stated. "I was leaving because I did not want the extra food."

"That's fine," Sophia stated. "You can go, if you want. I won't be staying much longer either."

At that moment, the elf appeared at their feet once more. She was only about as tall as Snape's shin and he looked down at her as if she might be a disease. In her hands, she held two large pieces of what looked to be chocolate cake.

"Whimsy makes it just for Miss Sophie Roe and Master Snape, Sir," she stated with a big smile.

He glanced at Sophia to find her grin matched the elf's.

"Do you mind if we take them to our rooms, Whimsy?" Sophia asked. "Professor Snape and I have other business to attend to now."

The house-elf's eyes went wide and she nodded as she answered, "Oh, yes, Miss Sophie Roe. Whimsy will get yous both plates to go!"

In a flash, she was gone and back before them.

Snape watched as Sophia took the covered plates and thanked the creature profusely for the meal and the dessert until it was glowing with pride. Then she turned and handed him one of the plates and started out the door with a small smile on her lips.

The Potion's Master followed the witch out of the crowded room, finding they were only there for a few extra minutes, not long enough for him to complain about.

"I have things I need to attend to," Snape stated as he came to a stop outside the fruit portrait beside Sophia.

She did not protest, but simply nodded her head.

Fifteen minutes later, Severus Snape sat in the living room portion of his Hogwart's home. On the table to his left, sitting next to his Slytherin green armchair, a plate of half-eaten chocolate cake awaited his return.

The man who should have been enjoying this death by dessert had stood a few seconds earlier. He faced the charmed window with his hands together behind his back, thinking about his experience with Sophia Roe out in the snow he was now staring at indifferently. He wondered how the night of potion's making would go tonight after dinner.

Another plate of chocolate cake sat on a side-table in a different part of the castle, but in another professor's rooms. This one, however, was not neglected.

Sophie licked the fork clean before digging in for the last bite. She scrapped dark frosting of the white of the plate and savored the last bite with closed eyes and a satisfied smile. In her mind's eye, she saw the way Severus Snape looked at her this afternoon when she had been marveling at the snow and she couldn't wait until her next chance to get him to look like that again.


	22. Chapter 22

Dinner arrived at a usual pace. It did not speed up to an unusual rate or drag on so slowly that you knew something had to be wrong with the clock you were looking at. Both Sophie and Snape found that they weren't rushed or stuck anticipating the next time they would see each other again.

By the time Sophie arrived in the Great Hall that evening, there was only one seat left at the table with students and professors mixed. Conversation was going smoothly; the food was already laid out before everyone. The witch slid into the spot beside Snape with a small, apologetic grin to anyone who looked up at her.

Snape did not say a word to the woman who sat to his left. He instead focused on his dinner and quietly ate while listening to Sophia speak with others who prompted conversation from her. He wasn't too hungry and he pushed food around his plate without realizing what he was doing, most of his mind on the answers she was giving.

It was unfortunate he missed it when people's attention turned elsewhere.

"Did that cake make you lose your appetite, Professor Snape?" an amused voice asked.

Snape found that Sophia Roe was watching him with a smirk on her face. He raised an eyebrow at her, silently asking what she meant.

"I just noticed that you haven't touched your plate much," she replied.

The Potion's Master was tempted to remind the witch of what he told her earlier that day. He could make these decisions on his own. He decided against this, though, after remembering he did go eat after she suggested it.

Looking into her eyes, as though she just issued a challenge to him, Snape picked up a forkful of something on his plate and took a bite. His eyes dared her to say anything more.

Sophia didn't seem bothered by this. She grinned widely and turned to sit correctly in her chair once more. Severus Snape was unsure who had won the round.

Dinner passed and when Snape stood from his chair, Sophia followed suit. She scampered after him and they walked down into the dungeons to the office they worked out of for their top-secret potion.

Snape's potion was waiting overnight, like a lot of his seemed to require. Sophie started a new one altogether, gathering the needed ingredients before she started to brew.

Neither spoke a word for a long time, so focused on the potions that they were. Out of the corner of his eye, Snape watched Sophia finely chop roots and crush together everything that was on her list. He was captivated by how smoothly, how gracefully she moved. What he didn't know was that she was doing the same.

More than once, Sophie found herself sighing softly, watching as the Potion's Master stirred the boiling liquid in his cauldron. Everything he did, he did with a diligence she wished she could master. The attention that went into brewing his potion was admirable and she knew this was why he talked about potion-making as an art, because when he did it, it was.

Snape glanced up, just in time to catch her mistake.

"Ms. Roe!" he called.

Sophia jerked her hand back and looked at him with wide eyes.

Though he didn't start yelling the last time she blew up a potion and he seemed rather good-natured about the entire thing, this time was different. Anger made Snape's face red, his eyes dark as he started to reprimand the girl.

He stalked to her, and stared into her eyes like he would with a student.

"You very nearly added an entire bottle of Fluxwood," he growled.

Snape knew that Sophia did not usually make mistakes with her work. He spent enough time with her working on potions to know this fact. However, this did not stop him from becoming angry at her mistake. She could have seriously injured them and she need to know that. He resorted back to his teacher methods, that if he yelled then something might stick in the brain of the student and maybe they wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Sophie was surprised at Severus Snape's violent reaction and the fact that he was in her face, so close she could see everything about him. The only time she could remember ever having been this close to him was when he kissed her. This was nothing like that.

She was not afraid of him, but his yelling did make her want to lower her head in shame. Sophie knew she made a mistake and he was reprimanding her for it.

"Do you know what adding so much of one ingredient could have done to this potion?" Snape inquired, still in her face.

If she were a student he would be taking points as well as assigning detention and an essay on the properties of the ingredient almost added. For now, he would settle with the yelling, making her own up and admit her mistakes so that maybe it would stick with her better what she'd done.

Snape was not thinking clearly enough to remember that he was trying to stay relatively friendly with this witch. All he could think about was how close she was to causing a violent reaction from this already volatile potion.

Sophie continued to keep her head down as she answered him, "It would've exploded, possibly worse."

Severus sneered.

"I'm sorry, I just…" she trailed off.

"Just what, Ms. Roe? Speak up," Snape stated.

It was then that Sophie realized just how the man before he was acting. Although she could've messed things up, she hadn't and now he was treating her like one of his students. She half expected him to start taking points from Gryffindor just because he couldn't take from her.

The name that he called her suddenly sounded awful to her. At one point Sophie told herself that he didn't mean anything by it, but now she couldn't help but think that it sounded exactly like he was talking to someone beneath him. She was a professor, but he didn't use that title. Instead, Snape addressed her like he would any of his students.

"I got side-tracked," Sophie spat back at him, suddenly angry.

Snape raised his eyebrows, something that Sophie was by far used to, but that suddenly annoyed her because he was questioning her and looking down at her.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Sophie snapped.

The niceness was wiped away for a moment and she was all fury in the heat of the moment. Her heart beat fast in her chest, filling her ears with the sound of hot blood rushing passed. Breath came in gasps, her eyes went hard.

"Like what Ms. Roe? Like you messed up like a child?" Snape questioned.

This was it. The moment where he messed everything up and she would never talk to him again. Snape could see it, like an outsider looking in. He knew this was the last time she would willingly talk to him, but he couldn't help it anymore. He figured as long as he'd already messed everything up, he might as well go out with a bang.

Sophie felt that things had gotten out of control but she was suddenly furious. The way he looked at her as if she were beneath him, how he talked to her as if she were one of his 'dunderhead' first years. She wanted to scream.

She didn't need to. Power seeped off of her in waves, like a child's might before they got a wand and started Hogwarts. Unharnessed magic laced the air, giving it an electric feel.

Without another word, Sophie turned and stormed out of the office. On a different day, perhaps she could have talked things out with him. She would have smiled and talked things out smoothly, laughed at the way he was frightened for their safety, her safety, but that wasn't the way it worked out on this day.

Maybe it was all of the tension between them. Every comment she made about his food, about him needing to eat more. It could've been the way they'd been around each other so much lately and they just needed a break. Or maybe it was the way they were around each other so much, but neither one admitted to the way they felt about the other. Whatever it was, they now needed to get away from the situation. To step back and take a breath before they saw each other again.

Sophie flew to her rooms faster than she ever had before. Magic popped on the air around her all through the halls, her face the angriest anyone had ever seen it. Students and professors alike pressed themselves up against the walls to get out of her path. Ironically, she thought this might be how Professor Snape felt when he was walking through the school.

Once safely in her rooms, Sophie stripped out of her shoes and robes, falling into her bed unceremoniously and with a large sigh. Perhaps she overreacted, she thought to herself. He was just looking out for them. Immediately with this thought came the guilt that plagued her being. She would have to say sorry. First, though, she would give them a few days to cool off.

In the dungeons, Snape gave an angry sigh and started putting things away. There was no point in continuing with either of the potions now. He could not work on two at the same time and even if he could, he was not in the right mindset to do anything of the sort.

Instead of continuing either potion, he put a stasis charm on them and returned to the living portion of his rooms. Severus Snape sat before his empty fireplace and summoned to himself a glass and a bottle of firewhiskey. He knew that he finally messed everything up. The only thing that he wanted in his life was gone and she would not return, of that he was sure. No matter how forgiving the witch was, she had enough of him today.

The next day was Christmas Eve and Sophie woke with the worry of what she would sing that evening in front of everybody. It took her a while to settle on a song, so long that she didn't leave her room until well after breakfast. She remembered what happened the day before and she decided that missing breakfast was probably a good way to let them cool down even more. They didn't need to see each other immediately after such a fight.

Snape did come to breakfast that morning and upon finding Sophia absent, felt even worse about what he'd done the night before. The witch didn't even want to see his face. But he didn't show what he was feeling on the outside. To everyone else, he was the same stoic Professor Snape. The only one who may have noticed something was Dumbledore, but if he did, the old man didn't say a word about it.

After eating that morning, Severus returned to his dungeon safe-haven and opened another bottle of firewhiskey before putting it aside and instead walking to his office. The potions they were working on the night before looked the same as when he'd left them and he took the charm off of his, beginning to work once more.

For both professors, the day passed too fast, though each had different reasons for feeling this way. Sophie was apprehensive about singing; she finally found the song she wanted to perform. Snape was nervous about seeing Sophia; he wasn't sure how everything would be with her angry at him.

Lunch came, but this time Snape was too immersed in his potion to come to the meal. Sophie entered the Great Hall, disappointed that he wasn't there, but thinking that perhaps it was for the best. She had no idea what was going on in the Potion's Master's mind.

The day went by so quickly that Sophie couldn't even remember where it'd gone. It was an hour before dinner and after that, she would be singing before the crowd of maybe thirty, students and professors alike. She didn't want to be nervous, but she couldn't help the butterflies that crept into her stomach and got stuck there, unable to find the way out.

Because of her nerves, Sophie was one of the first in the Great Hall. She was almost always the last one to arrive, but not today. On this day, everything was backwards.

Snape didn't really want to go to dinner that night. He knew that he would be fine if he didn't eat, he skipped meals all the time in previous years. Something kept him from skipping the meal though, especially after missing lunch. This something was the voice of Sophia Roe, in his ear, her concerned protest "You can't just go hungry!". Reluctantly, he made his way to the Great Hall.

Because of all his hesitating and rethinking, Snape was the last to arrive and he took the last seat available, at the end of the table. This was perhaps the first time this year when he wasn't sitting beside the substitute professor. He found it odd and he didn't really like it, but figured he might as well get used to it. If she continued to sit by him at all, he doubted she would ever greet him in her chipper voice ever again.

No one saw the inner turmoil that constantly was on Severus Snape's mind. He was stoic and ate like he always did, without talking to anybody. When questioned where he was for lunch by a certain nosey Headmaster, Snape replied shortly that he was working on a potion that needed his full attention. His eyes did not slip toward Sophia in any way. He did not give any clue that it was something he was working on with her, just like the perfect spy he was.

Sophie watched the Potion's Master as he sat down for dinner. Nothing appeared to have changed about him, though she didn't know what would have. He didn't attempt to speak to her and she figured he might be thinking along the same lines as she was.

Amanda Bramer, the third year Hufflepuff who had the idea for the performances this night, talked Sophie's ear off for the entire meal. She wanted to know what song she was singing and she wanted to tell the older witch all about what she would be doing. Sophie listened intently, but refused to say what she would be doing for the show, she insisted that it was a surprise and wouldn't budge.

When dinner was done, Sophie found herself behind a curtain that Dumbledore created just for this occasion. She bit her lip nervously and wrung her hands together. The butterflies that tried to escape the confines of her stomach earlier were now viciously assaulting her insides. The witch was sure that she couldn't do this.

Sophie was just about ready to back out of the entire thing when she could hear Snape's voice in her mind, stating clearly as if she were stupid for thinking otherwise "Who's here to make fun of you? … And if they do you can just take off points…They'll be courteous even if you are horrid. They've had plenty of practice with me". The memory calmed her and the butterflies relaxed slightly. Everything would be fine.

Dumbledore announced her and the curtains parted, Sophie stood before the small crowd. She looked over them as the music magically carried through the Hall. Umbridge's disapproving frown, Sprout's excited smile, Snape's neutral gaze. Out of everyone watching her, she settled for staring down at Snape or just behind his head. Doing this calmed her just as much as remembering his voice, maybe even more.

The time came for her to sing and Sophie took a deep breath, her voice ringing through the Great Hall for the first time since she was sixteen and her parents were murdered. As her voice resounded through the room, she felt as if a weight was lifted from her and she knew this was the right thing for her to be doing. She shouldn't have waited so long before singing in front of people again.

Snape knew he voice was amazing, but hearing it so clearly, ringing through the Great Hall without being hushed at all was something else. He realized he hadn't had a clue how good she could sing until now, that before he was only catching glimpses of the truth. Once again, he was stunned by the sound of her voice, his breath taken away and his eyes locked on her. He could not have moved if he tried.

He was surprised when he realized Sophia took his words to heart when they spoke of what she would sing the day before in the snow. She was singing neither a cheesy Christmas carol, nor an upbeat and annoying muggle or wizarding song. Of course, she could have wanted this song anyway, but he wanted to believe that somewhere, she was thinking about him when picking what she would sing.

The song she chose was soft, with just a piano playing in the background, complimenting her voice, but not covering it. Snape didn't know what song it was, he was sure he never heard it before. He thought maybe he would like to hear it again after tonight, if it was sung by Sophia Roe.

When the girl finished her song, the Hall burst into applause. No one was left unaffected by the witch's voice. Snape watched as Sophia positively beamed and then skipped off the stage as the curtain closed in front of her.

Sophie was radiating joy as she came to stand in the crowd before the stage just as the second performance started. Many people leaned over and congratulated her, whispering how well she'd done and telling her what a lovely voice she had. She thanked every one of them and the wide smile never left her face.

Performance after performance, Sophie watched with rapt attention, interested in every single person who stepped on the stage. She clapped vigorously after each of them was done and whispered compliments to them when they came to stand in the crowd with everyone else. Unsurprisingly, Snape did not perform. Somewhat shockingly, Dumbledore did.

Overall, it was a very pleasant night and when it was over, everyone thanked Amanda Bramer for her wonderful idea. They left the Great Hall in good spirits and the only thing more for them to do was wait for Christmas morning. The excitement was tangible on the air.

Sophie slipped into her rooms and took off her robe, stepping into the shower to relax after the nerve-wracking ordeal singing in front of everyone had been. She did not look into the mirror, finding that she would rather avoid the emotions that came with it altogether on this happy Christmas Eve night.

As she got ready to lie down, a knock came on her door and Sophie opened it, wondering who it could be at this time of night. At first, she did not see anyone and she nearly shut the door, would have it the house-elf didn't speak up before she did.

"Miss Sophie Roe!" a voice squeaked.

Sophie's eyes darted down and she found that there really was someone waiting outside her rooms. It was Whimsy, the house-elf. Tonight she was not wearing a yellow pillowcase, but what looked to be a red and white Christmas tree-skirt with holes cut out on either side for her arms.

"Hello, Whimsy," Sophie greeted with a smile.

"Whimsy is here to collect any presents Miss Sophie Roe wants to give to anyone in the school," Whimsy stated.

The witch now realized why someone would be at her door so late. Of course the elves would take a trip through the school to deliver presents. Someone had to do it and she didn't think much about it when she was younger, it made sense now, though.

Just as she was about to apologize and send the elf away, she remembered her present to Snape and thought the best way to give it to him would be under his tree!

"Would you mind if I wrote a quick letter to go with it?" Sophie asked.

"Of course not, Miss Sophie Roe. Miss Sophie Roe may write as many notes as she likes and Whimsy will wait until she is done with every last one of them," the elf replied.

Sophie grinned, "Only one."

She returned to her rooms, invited the house-elf inside, and grabbed a piece of parchment from a drawer along with a quill and ink. For a moment, she thought about what she should say, and then quickly wrote it down. Sophie folded the paper and put a light sticking charm on the back of it. She grabbed the present and stuck the note to the outside.

"Here you are," Sophie said, presenting the gift to the house-elf.

"Who is Miss Sophie Roe giving the present to?" Whimsy asked.

"Professor Snape," Sophie instructed.

The house-elf grinned and then disappeared out the door, leaving Sophie alone. She was slightly worried about what Snape would think of her present, but she decided not to worry about it anymore. Slowly, she returned to bed, excited for Christmas Day.

In his rooms, Snape nursed a bottle of firewhiskey while considering the day that just passed. His mind was already passed the stage where he mourned for his loss. He found he was being a wimp when all the self-pity came pouring down. Really, he needed to get on with it and think about what he was going to do next.

They couldn't go on being enemies and avoiding each other, Snape thought. They had a job to do, appointed by the Dark Lord himself. Fighting with the witch would lead to nowhere and they needed to be on the same side.

The reason Snape was drinking on this night was not because he was feeling sorry for himself, but because he was anxious considering what he needed to do now. He knew that the only way he could expect them to get along again would be for him to apologize and the thought of saying he was sorry, for anything, made Severus Snape sick to his stomach. For his friendship with Sophia Roe, though, he thought he could do it.

Snape sat in his chair before the unlit fire for a few long hours before retiring to his bed. For a long while after that, he stared at the ceiling, willing sleep to come to him.


	23. Chapter 23

. In the early hours of the morning, Whimsy the house-elf and others just like her wandered the halls of Hogwarts and snuck into the rooms of its inhabitants, playing the part the muggle 'Santa Clause'. This particular elf was given the job of placing Severus Snape's presents in his rooms. He had no tree because he detested the holiday season in general and so the elf was also charged with the task of figuring out where she should put his presents.

There weren't many gifts to place in the professor's rooms, but this did not deter the elf. She quietly appeared in Snape's living room and looked around for a place to put them. After a moment's hesitation, Whimsy decided to arrange them on the coffee table, where the wizard couldn't miss them when he woke.

With the job done, she snapped her fingers and left the room. She was relieved Snape hadn't woken up when she was there. Whimsy heard many tales about the angry man when he caught elves in his personal space, they weren't even allowed in there to clean anymore and they generally tried to stay away from the angry wizard.

Whimsy went about delivering the rest of her presents. The rest of the castle slept peacefully, unaware of the creatures quietly moving from room to room.

When the sun came up both professors and students checked to see what laid under the Christmas tree for them. Wrapped in brightly colored paper, piles of presents waited to be opened and used to their full extent. Professor Sophia Roe was just waking in her rooms, wiping her foggy eyes and blinking into the sunlight that invaded her bedroom.

Sophie didn't normally get a lot of presents on Christmas, which didn't bother her at all because she felt she would rather give than get. She didn't have any family left except for…but they didn't often send gifts. This year was no different than all the rest, she noted as she padded to the bathroom to first make herself presentable for the day.

In the dungeons, in a room that was most difficult to find, Professor Severus Snape was also rising. He got even less gifts than Sophia Roe because although he also had no family, she was liked and he was not. The same as the girl, though, he didn't care how many presents he got.

The wizard rose from his bed as artificial sunlight poured into his bedroom and irritated his eyes. Snape didn't get much sleep the night before, but when he did, it was fitful at best. Now he simply wanted to get the day over with.

Walking into the front room, Severus immediately spotted the brightly wrapped packages waiting on his table. He figured they were from Dumbledore, like every year, and his lip curled slightly at the thought of unwrapping candy or some idiotic gift of socks. He went to his stores and pulled out a bottle of Pepper-Up potion.

After downing one horrid gulp, the Potion's Master put the cork back in the vial and placed it all back on the shelf as if it was never touched. Snape returned to his living room and sat down on his couch, staring at the presents as if they might bite him. He considered, for a moment, throwing them away or perhaps burning them in his unlit fireplace. But he was in the comfort of his rooms and Snape figured he could at least open the gifts as long as people weren't breathing down his back about it.

Snape leaned forward and picked up the first package on the table, one of three. This one was wrapped in bright green paper that crinkled under his touch. He snarled at the feel and tore it off quickly. Underneath were a box of chocolate frogs and a simple card from Dumbledore wishing him a 'Happy Christmas'.

Severus Snape set the box aside and grabbed the next one off his table. This time it had bright red paper with house-elves printed all around it. He supposed that maybe they were supposed to be elves, like those that 'worked with Santa'. The wizard pulled off the wrapping paper just as quickly as he'd done to the last present.

This gift was given to him by Minerva McGonagall, if the card written in crisp handwriting was anything to go by. The gift itself was barely tolerable and Snape wished she would've sent nothing at all. The witch gave him a book of potions, one which he already obtained. He knew she was trying to be kind, but he didn't need it and didn't really want it.

There was one present left on the table before him. Snape leaned forward and got up. He was done opening presents for now, the last two were horrid enough.

The Potion's Master stalked around his chambers, feeling that this day was going to be just another awful one to mix with all the others. What he really wanted to do was go lay back in his bed and maybe sleep, he was having an oddly nice dream, though he couldn't remember what it was about now.

Snape decided instead that he would brew for an hour or two. It was still early enough in the morning that he didn't have to be anywhere for a while. He would open the present before he went to breakfast, he thought. This sounded like the perfect idea to him.

Sophie showered, dressed, and then stood before the mirror she so often avoided. She didn't have a choice about it now, if she wanted to know what she looked like. The witch was trying to look particularly nice today, not only because it was Christmas, but because she was hoping to see Snape and apologize for the way she reacted.

Her reflection stared back at her, eyes dulled by the fact that she hated to see herself. Sophie smiled at the mirror, as if willing her reflection away. She started to curl her hair.

Magic was an essential tool in getting ready and even though it was faster than doing things the muggle way, it was still time consuming. Sophie slowly started to apply the faintest hints of make-up to her face, ignoring the urge to turn away from the mirror itself.

Snape couldn't put it off much longer. The potion he decided to brew was almost finished and in the back of mind, he could see the silver package waiting for him on the table in his living room. Bubbling a slimy blue color, the professor carefully bottled the potion into six clear vials, placing a cork in the top of each. For the vials that would go to the hospital wing, he precisely wrote the name of the potion. He skipped this step altogether in the bottles he kept for himself.

There was no way he could wait. Breakfast was fast approaching and if Snape was attending, which was a requirement for those who stayed behind, he would need to know who sent him what. With a growing reluctance, Severus started through the doorway and back into his rooms.

Darkness enveloped the Potion's Master, the dungeons cool and almost damp. With a bit of wandless magic, the candles lit themselves and shadows were chased into the corners of the room. The silver package in the middle of the room called to Snape and yet repelled him. He knew he had to open it, but hated presents altogether.

He sat on the couch, the fireplace cold, and picked up the gift in his left hand. Wrapped in shiny silver paper, there was a note attached to the front that Snape was only slightly curious about. The most any of the other professors wrote on presents to him were their names.

Slowly, Severus Snape unfolded the note.

Make-up done, Sophie returned to her front room and her eyes immediately went to the small Christmas tree in the corner of the room. Lights danced and glittered across the tree, seemingly moving. Ornaments moved on their own, sparkling brightly. Underneath, five or six presents waited to be opened.

Sophie sat on the floor in front of the tree and summoned a box toward her. The first was a package wrapped in bright green paper. She smiled as she saw the name scrawled across the front, Albus Dumbledore. Quickly, she tore off the outsides and another small grin crossed her face. The Headmaster gave her a box of Fizzing Whizbees.

She set the box to her right and summoned the next present to her. Wrapped in red paper with little elves stamped all over, the name Minerva McGonagall was printed neatly on a small scrap of parchment. Without taking her time or trying to preserve wrapping paper, Sophie tore into the gift and smirked. Inside was a book on transfiguration and the best methods of the science. It was impersonal, but this didn't bother the young witch in the slightest.

The next present was from a friend at the Ministry. After that, one from Molly Weasley and the rest of the Weasley clan; a note was attached to that one explaining that she was now a part of the Order and such. The next two were from Professors Flitwick and Sprout. Each sent things that they talked about and Sophie was glad she remembered the two when she did her own Christmas shopping.

Finally, there were no more presents and Sophie was slightly relieved. Christmas was great and gifts were fun, but she didn't enjoy opening them so much anymore. Now that it was all over, all she had to do was thank everyone and get on with the day.

Sophie stood and put the used wrapping paper in the trash, looking around her rooms for the place where she would put these new gifts. The books could go on the shelf with the others. Candy could be opened, a piece snuck before breakfast, and then put on the table for later. The rest she stashed in her bedroom until she could find a place for it more permanently.

It was nearing breakfast and Sophie wondered what everyone else in the castle was doing. She was curious if they were having a good Christmas, but she was most curious about a specific person she knew to be down in the dungeons.

Snape's eyes washed over the curly penmanship he'd never seen before and he slowly took in the words.

Professor Snape,

I'm sorry for the way I acted the other night. I know I overreacted. I didn't say anything before because I figured we needed a break from each other. I saw this in a shop and immediately thought of you, I hope you don't mind.

Sophia Roe

Severus Snape stared at the words for a long moment. He was beyond shocked. She was apologizing to him! She, Sophia Roe, was sorry for the way she acted!

Snape couldn't believe it. All this time, he thought she never wanted to see him again. He figured he finally messed it up for good and really she felt guilty. She wasn't talking to him because she thought they needed to stay away from each other for a day or two.

Thoughts raced through the professor's head as he stared down at the parchment. It crinkled in his hand, folded and wrinkled as he gripped it too tightly. Snape was thinking too much and not thinking at all. He didn't know what to think, but the thoughts danced across his mind, too quick to catch.

For a few minutes Severus forgot about the gift he had yet to open. He read and reread the small note before he remembered the silver wrapped package in his hand. When he finally got over the shock of her apologizing to him, Snape looked down at the present.

It was soft, so it probably wasn't a book. This fact relieved him because most books, he already had or were useless to him. He was a Potion's Master, most potions books told him facts he already knew or were wrong and he hated the authors.

He wasn't sure what Sophia could have given him. Snape didn't have high hopes, but he knew that whatever it was he had to like it. He slowly pulled the wrapping paper off and threw it on the couch beside him.

Snape was stunned. For all she could have given him, out of everyone who tried to give him things, she actually found something that he liked. It wasn't impersonal, it wasn't useless, and it wasn't another book.

The gift probably shouldn't have moved him the way it did. There was nothing fancy to it and it didn't cost a lot of money, but it seemed that after what everyone else gave him, the fact that he couldn't remember the last time he received a decent present, this small thing meant a lot. Sophia could have given him something impersonal and thoughtless. She might not have given him anything at all, but she did.

Under all of the silver wrapping paper, folded precisely, lay a cloak. It was black from the front, but if you turned it just so and the light hit it just right, you could see the color was really green. The wizard's robe was long and as Snape lifted it up, he could see that it was of expensive material and it billowed out like the ones he wore around the castle.

It was perfect, though Severus Snape wouldn't dare put it that way if he were to describe the gift.

Snape looked from the cloak to the crinkled parchment in his hand. Standing from his couch, he set them down and started out the door.

When she'd opened all of the presents under her Christmas Tree, Sophie walked back to the bathroom to make sure she was presentable. Breakfast was soon and she felt like today was a good day to look her best.

The reflection in the mirror showed Sophie just as she was, but there was something in her bone structure, her eyes, in everything that she was that she just couldn't stand. The witch grimaced at the glass and then narrowed down what she was looking at. Not the face itself, but the skin of it, just tiny portions that made looking at herself bearable.

Nothing was out of place. Her hair ran perfectly down her back in simple curls and her eyes popped with the slight make-up she added. Her skin looked flawless, her outfit pristine.

Sophie walked back out to her front room just as a sharp knock sounded on the wood of the door.

Snape felt his heart thundering in his chest so quickly that he could hear the blood rush passed his ears. He didn't have a clue what he was doing, standing outside the door to Sophia's rooms, but he couldn't control himself when he lifted his hand to knock. It was sharp and precise, just like everything he did, but it was enough.

Severus Snape waited impatiently for the door to open before him.

Sophie rushed through the front room wondering who could be knocking so early in the morning. It was Christmas, but she thought that would keep people away rather than invite them in. She would have thought people would want to be with families or opening their own presents at least until breakfast at the latest.

Still, she couldn't be upset about it and she plastered a smile on her face just as she turned the knob and pulled open the door.

Severus watched as the door opened inward and Sophia's smiling face came into view. He knew that she probably wasn't smiling at him; she was just smiling in general, as she always did, but he couldn't help the feeling that came over him when he saw it.

The wizard couldn't help what he did next. His eyes settled on her and he couldn't control it. Moving closer to the witch, he lifted a hand to the side of her face, pushing the red-blonde hair back from her face. He stepped into the front room with her, putting his body closer to hers.

Sophie didn't know what was happening, but it didn't bother her at all. As the man she constantly thought about came closer, she suddenly forgot everything. Her breath caught in her throat and got stuck; she didn't remember how to breathe.

When his hand touched her face, she leaned into it, her body moving of her own accord. Sophie couldn't help it, but instinct told her how to react.

Snape could see into the witch's eyes clearly and he knew that if he were to try and invade her mind there would be absolutely no resistance. The thought excited and frightened him because the Potion's Master knew that he was allowing the same amount of openness to himself. Completely unintentional, but nothing would stop it at this point.

He leaned still closer to her, until his lips rested at the edge of her ear and he could smell the shampoo she used, strong in his nose at this distance.

"Thank you," he breathed, his heart beating erratically in his chest.

With that, Snape did what he'd been dying to do from the moment he read that note. His face came back up and he looked in her eyes again, watching them for any sign of resistance as he ever so slowly brought his face back down to hers.

Severus Snape, the greasy git, dungeon bat, kissed her, Sophia Roe.

He kissed her before, but this was something new. Her lips were not just a tingling sensation against his, there was fire and it seemed to burn through both of them. He stepped closer to her, pushing her back until she was up against the wall and there was no coherent thought.

Sophie watched as the Potion's Master's face grew closer to her own, until she could see every pore in his skin, every blemish that was there. His breath tickled as he exhaled, blowing her hair back a little from her ear. She was very still. She didn't know what this was coming from, but she was afraid to break the spell that he seemed to be under.

His silky smooth voice breathed two words in her ear and she very nearly melted on the spot.

"Thank you."

She felt a little sigh of disappointment leave her lips when he pulled back away from her, but the look in his eye was one so that she didn't feel that way for long. Slowly, his face came back to hers and she watched until he was close enough that their breath mingled between them. Led by instinct, Sophie closed her eyes and leaned just slightly closer to him.

The fire she felt when his lips met hers was greater than she'd felt the last time they kissed. This was more intense than that had been.

Snape kissed her until he was out of breath and dizzy and only when he couldn't take it any longer did he pull back to stare into her eyes once more. For a few seconds, she didn't open them, but simply panted, her back against the wall and her face tinged red. When they opened, he couldn't help what came out of his mouth and this had to be the first time he apologized willingly to anybody since Lily.

"I'm sorry," Snape stated.

His forehead rested against hers as they breathed heavily and she did not push him away.


	24. Chapter 24

When breakfast arrived they did not look any different than any other day. Sophie and Snape entered the Great Hall together, but that was not necessarily unusual. Everyone knew they talked and so it was not unreasonable that they exchanged gifts or met each other in the hall.

Neither professor wanted to discuss what happened between them, though they knew that it would eventually be brought up somehow. For now, though, they decided to just continue as normal. The tension was considerably less between them now, for some reason.

Sophie could feel her body threatening to betray itself when she entered the Great Hall at Severus Snape's side. Heat bubbled underneath her skin, but she attempted to ignore it. She was not a good spy for nothing, hiding the fact that she was just snogging the castle's most hated professor really shouldn't have been that hard.

The witch ducked her head as her eyes met the sparkling ones of Albus Dumbledore. He smiled at them and it was the kind of smile that knew, like he could somehow see what just transpired between his Potion's Master and Herbology apprentice.

"Sophie! Severus!" Dumbledore called as they neared the table at the center of the room.

"Professor Dumbledore," Sophie replied with a smile of her own.

Snape simply nodded.

"Having a fair Christmas?" the Headmaster asked.

Sophie nodded enthusiastically, thinking about the kiss she shared with the man beside her only minutes ago. If she didn't know any better, just by looking at him, she would have thought he didn't feel a thing. His face was stoic as usual and seemed to be just like every other day. Luckily, she knew better than that.

"Oh yes, I loved the Fizzing Whizbees," Sophie stated. "Thank you so much."

Dumbledore grinned mischievously, "And thank you for your present! It will look marvelous in my sitting room, I'm sure."

Snape did not enter the conversation, but that was not unlike him and Dumbledore didn't seem to mind at all as he spent a few minutes conversing with Sophie and then turning to McGonagall who was seated to his right.

"Are you having a good Christmas so far, Professor Roe?" Amanda Bramer questioned, her face bright and smiling.

"Wonderful," Sophie replied. "And you?"

The Hufflepuff girl grinned, "I got a ton of new stuff from my grandfather. He lives in Egypt."

For a while, the two talked amongst themselves and Snape was left to eat his breakfast in silence.

Severus Snape was not upset by the fact that he wasn't included in the girl's conversation. He was actually quite pleased to be left out of it. He felt he wasn't getting enough time to himself this year, being so preoccupied by the woman who sat beside him.

Snape stole a glance at Sophia Roe to find her beaming at the third year she was speaking to. Something changed when they were in that room, he could feel it. There was something much different in the way she looked to him, the way she sat beside him.

Maybe it was just the fact that there was no more tension. They were relaxed around one another now, or as much as Snape could ever be relaxed. This could be the reason things felt different, but Snape didn't think so.

He felt it was bigger than just the release of tension. Their entire relationship had shifted and Snape wasn't sure what to think about it.

Dumbledore's eye caught his and Severus scowled while turning away. He hated that the old man always seemed to know everything. It was like every aspect of his life was controlled by the Headmaster of Hogwarts. There were parts that were literally in the old man's hands, but his personal life shouldn't have been, yet it still felt like it.

The thought occurred to Snape that he should just back out now. He didn't want Dumbledore breathing down his neck about it and it would be that much more difficult from now on if he had an attachment to this girl. Everything would be better if he just stepped away from it all right now.

This thought, though tempting, made his heart clench and his breathing speed up. He knew that if he was to try and get out of everything now, she would not let him. Not without a fight. And he didn't really want to. Snape liked Sophia and for once in his life, he wanted to like someone and not worry about anything else.

His eyes wandered back over to her. Everything about her was perfect. The way her curls ran down her back, that loose smile given to everyone, the way she laughed so freely. He didn't have a clue how she could be connected to the most evil man on the planet.

Snape paused in his musings, startled by the sudden thoughts of the Dark Lord. Although it was true, they were both connected to him, he wasn't sure why he would've thought about that. It was then that he felt the slight burn of the Mark on his forearm.

Looking up quickly, he saw Sophia lift her hand and scratch at her back as if there was an itch. Snape knew that this was where her Dark Mark laid, the one thing that marred her flawless skin.

Sophie felt the light burn on her back from her Mark, but it wasn't quite the fire that said Voldemort was calling her. Of course, he wasn't just calling her now. She was called just like everyone else, along with the rest of the inner circle of Death Eaters.

She wrinkled her nose and touched her back, as if it was an itch that needed to be scratched. Sophie hoped no one noticed and doubted that anyone would. No one would suspect her of having a Dark Mark and even if they did, they weren't on people's backs. Nobody would ever think anything about her scratching her back.

The whole time through breakfast, Sophie was acutely aware of Severus Snape sitting beside her. There was nothing that he did that was different than usual, but she could almost feel the heat radiating off the arm lying next to her. She knew every move he made and knew exactly when he moved.

When breakfast was done, Sophie followed Snape out of the Great Hall. She was unsure about where to proceed from this point on. So they kissed. He apologized, she apologized. Were they just going to go back to the way they were before? Would he ignore her?

The anticipation was killing her and Sophie was about ready to lose her just-finished breakfast if he didn't say something soon.

At the door to the Great Hall, Snape turned his head just slightly and she was able to catch a glimpse of his dark eye.

"I will be spending the rest of the day in my rooms, if you'd care to join me, Ms. Roe," Snape stated.

The relief that filled her was immense and immediate and Sophie couldn't contain the grin that spread across her face upon hearing his words. She followed him down the steps to the dungeons and the smile didn't leave once as they entered Severus Snape's front room.

Snape didn't know where they would go from here either, though he didn't show his nerves nearly as clearly as Sophia did. When he left the offer open to go back to his rooms, he did feel slightly apprehensive as to her answer.

He couldn't help it. No one ever liked him, not in his entire life. His father hated him and his mother adored the man who beat her more than her only son. His first friend, Lily, left him for his worst enemy and the friends he made in Slytherin House weren't friends at all. Dumbledore, who acted like he was on Snape's side most of the time, was just using him as a pawn. Nobody truly liked Severus Snape.

So when Sophia smiled brightly at his offer, Snape couldn't help the fact that he wanted to mimic this action. He still couldn't believe that she was sorry for yelling at him. He was almost sure that this was all a mistake. Something had gone wrong and soon she would be shying away from him like a person was supposed to.

For now, though, Snape thought he could be alright with her not running away. He knew it would happen sometime. It always did, but he could enjoy this while it lasted.

Severus led the witch to his door and unwarded it before letting them inside. Inside, he felt awkward and unsure of himself, like a child back in his teenage years. Outside, he was confident and proud. He was sure he was going to make some stupid mistake just like when he was younger.

The door closed loudly behind the witch and they were alone again. Silence descended.

"Do you feel the burning on your Mark?" Sophia asked.

Snape looked at the girl to see her rubbing her own and rolling her shoulders.

"This is not as bad as it could be," he stated.

"I know, I was just wondering if you felt it too. I'm not used to being called with everyone else," she answered, the tension in the room was thick and pressing.

Snape sighed and took a seat, "I feel it."

Sophie sat as well and looked down for a moment, trying to think of what to say to diffuse the situation. Everything seemed perfect just hours ago and now it was awkward at best.

"What do we do now?" Sophie asked quietly.

At first Severus didn't answer and she wasn't sure if he heard her, but when she looked up it was to find him staring directly at her. His dark eyes were looking intently at her face, as if he was trying to see into her.

Sophie was very unsure of herself at the moment. This wasn't something she normally did. In fact, she didn't remember the last time she liked someone as much as she liked Snape. He was intriguing and interesting, she didn't mind being around him, and he didn't care that she was a Death Eater or a spy for the Order.

She just didn't know where she stood with him. He was so open one moment and the next he was pushing her away and ignoring her. She didn't want him to do that again, but she didn't honestly know what was going to happen.

Snape sighed again and leaned back in his chair as Sophia stared at him with those big, innocent eyes. He could feel her cool, expectant gaze even as he closed his eyes. He didn't know what to tell her.

Severus hadn't, in his entire life, been in a relationship. He had no idea where this was going with Sophia and he knew when he went up to her room this morning he didn't expect this outcome. Now that it was here, he didn't know what to do with it.

The Potion's Master thought about what she wanted to hear and wanted to throw up and run in the opposite direction. She wanted a real relationship with him. He didn't think he could give that to her. Yes, he liked her and she was fun to be around, but he was still in love with Lily. Snape couldn't give Sophia what she wanted, needed, or deserved when he was still attached to a woman who had been dead for fourteen years.

Besides, Snape knew he would have to tell her everything if he were to be fair with her and give her what she wanted. He wasn't ready to give that much of himself away yet. He wasn't sure if there was that much of him left to give away.

What could he possibly say that would make things okay? That he killed the love of his life and gave his own away for a cause that he got involved in when he was a child? That he was no longer whole because he still thought of a dead woman every single day? Every time he saw Harry Potter he was reminded of her so how could he possibly give Sophia Roe what she wanted?

"We can't do this," Snape stated quietly.

He did not look up as he spoke. His heart was thundering in his chest as he waited for her reply.

"Why not?" her voice questioned.

"I…I'm not ready for this," he admitted haltingly.

Sophie's eyes softened as she stared at the man before her. He looked very broken and tired suddenly. The cold exterior was gone and she could see what was underneath for a fleeting moment.

She moved to his side as she remembered the way he looked outside her door that morning. The way he was breathing quickly, so sure of himself, breathing in her ear and kissing her intensely. Sophie couldn't breathe as she thought of giving up on that.

"It doesn't have to be like that," Sophie whispered, staring at the long, thin hand that gripped the arm of the couch tightly. "We could take it as slow as you want. Just be friends for a while."

Snape listened to her speak, thinking of all that he would eventually have to explain to her, thinking about what she would do when she found out. She would surely run and never look back. Someone as pure as her couldn't stay after she learned of his past.

He knew that he couldn't give her what she was asking for, but the way she put it, just being friends for a while…everything sounded so easy. It sounded nice. Snape wanted that, but he knew it wasn't for him, not something that he should even think about because good things simply didn't happen to him. But, gosh, how he wanted it.

"Can't we just be friends?" Sophia asked him. "Nothing has to change, really. Can't we just see where that takes us?"

Sophie didn't like how she was pretty much begging him. It wasn't something she liked to do, but she wasn't willing to give up on Severus Snape. There was something there that she didn't want to let go.

"Please?" she breathed, almost inaudibly.

Severus' eyes came up as he heard the pleading tone to her voice. He was stunned that again, she was showing him something no one ever did before. She wanted to be his friend. She wanted to be close to him. How could he turn her away?

Dark eyes met light and he realized that there really was no saying 'no'. She was asking him to be her friend and it wasn't like it was anything really different from the direction they were already headed. What was he waiting for?

"Ms. Roe, why do you want to be friends with me?" Snape asked.

Sophie wasn't sure how to answer this question. There were so many things about him, but she didn't know what to say. Because he was strong, intriguing, she enjoyed his sarcastic sense of humor? Because he was an amazing spy and no one realized it? Because everything he did and everyone turned their backs on him and he did it all anyway? He probably wouldn't take too well to any of this.

"Because you didn't immediately like me when I smiled at you. Because you are a challenge and aren't like everyone else. I don't know, I have fun with you," she answered quickly.

Apparently this was a good answer. Snape sat in his chair for a long moment, speechless. What was he to say to this? No one ever liked him and now this woman was giving him more than reason why she wanted to be his friend.

"Ms. Roe," Severus started. "I am not a kind person. I don't have any friends and that is for a reason. There are things in my past that would make you scream and run in the other direction. You could not possibly want to be friends with me if you knew any of these things."

Sophie's eyes were soft. She knew he didn't approve of all of the things he did. She knew he was ashamed and didn't think he deserved friendship. It hurt her to think of all of the things he thought about himself and she hoped someday he would tell her about it, but right now was not the time. Right now, she needed to make him realize that she wasn't going anywhere.

She leaned down to look into his eyes, thinking that if anyone else were here, they wouldn't dare to get in the face of the dreaded Potion's Master. But he didn't snap at her like he might to others. He stared directly back into her eyes, that wall of his firmly in place.

"I don't care about any of that," Sophie told him. "I'm not leaving."

Sophie leaned closer to him, so that their breath mingled together before them. Her eyes drifted shut of their own accord and she remembered the passion that he kissed her with that morning. If only she could bring that back now, she might have a fighting chance to convince him.

"I already know that you aren't always the nicest person, but I'm still here," she said, staring down at his lips.

Sophie leaned closer and touched her lips to his. This was the first time she initiated contact between them and it was both exhilarating and frightening at the same time. She didn't know how he would respond.

Snape heard what she was saying but didn't think he could believe it. Lily left him for the person who taunted him all his life and Dumbledore was supposed to save her, but he didn't. Everyone who he trusted let him down. She didn't even know everything, but she was promising to stick around. No one else ever had.

When her lips touched his, he felt the burning that started this morning and all thought flew from his mind. His eyes fell closed as he lost himself. She leaned closer and his hands moved on their own, sliding up to her face and into her soft hair. Her hands were on his face as well, down on his neck, holding his shoulders. He was breathing heavily, his heart hammering erratically in his chest once more.

After what seemed like an eternity Sophia pulled away and all that Snape could hear was her quick breathing that matched his own. Her hands were still on his shoulders and his were still in her hair as he looked into her eyes.

"Don't make me go away," she begged, her eyes open to him.

Again, Snape had the feeling that he could use Legilimency right now and she would be like an open book to him. He knew that all it would take would be one simple push and he could see everything, he would know for sure if she meant what she was saying. Still, even if she meant it now, that didn't mean she wouldn't run when she knew the truth.

Severus didn't force himself into her thoughts like he considered. If she was allowing him this much, then surely that meant she was telling the truth. She could be bluffing, but he didn't think so and he was an excellent judge of who was lying and who wasn't.

"Nothing has to change," Snape repeated.

Sophia shook her head slightly.

Snape closed his eyes as he thought about everything, "We're friends. We take this slow. I'm not telling you all of my secrets."

His eyes were closed so his missed the smile that crossed Sophie's face. She didn't need to know all of his secrets now; she just didn't want him to pull away from her.

"That's fine," Sophie replied.

She still had her arms on his shoulders. His hands were still threaded through her hair, though they were slowly sliding downward.

They breathed quietly for a few long moments until Snape finally righted himself, taking his hands back to his own body.

"Have you gotten any work done on the potion?" Sophie inquired as she stood and fixed herself.

Snape cleared his throat and stood up, going to the door to his office.

"I've checked a few things off our list," he answered.

For the rest of the day, the two spent their time working in the potion's lab. All of the awkwardness and tension was finally gone and they were able to relax in each other's company once more. They took lunch in Snape's rooms and it was around dinnertime when the burning in their Marks finally flashed white-hot.

Sophie gasped as she felt the pain shoot through her body and Snape suddenly went rigid and still. They both looked to each other, their eyes locking.

Quickly, they magicked their Death Eater robes on.

"We can Apparate from here," Snape stated.

A second later, he disappeared with a sharp pop. Sophie followed him, turning on her heel.

She arrived suddenly beside the man, looking up and realizing that they were standing before Malfoy Manor. Snape had been here numerous times, but Sophie was used to hiding when Voldemort called her. She didn't recognize the mansion and gawked as she walked next to Snape up to the dark black gates that opened before them as they drew closer.

"Where are we?" Sophie asked, realizing that Snape seemed to know this place.

Severus raised an eyebrow at the witch as they walked, "This is Malfoy Manor. You've never been here?"

Sophie shook her head in reply.

"The Dark Lord has been living here on and off for the past year, since his full recovery during the Tri-Wizard tournament," Snape answered.

Sophie took in the large house before her as they strode up to it.

"The Dark Lord and I have a sort of hidden arrangement," Sophie explained. "I didn't have a clue where he was staying or that he even had a permanent residence."

Snape nodded, but didn't answer. They were at the doors of the mansion and he was knocking.

A skinny and badly bruised house-elf answered the door, shaking quite visibly.

"Master Snape! Master Malfoy says Jumpy brings you to the Hall. Please follows Jumpy," the elf stated, her quivers growing. Her large yellowed eyes turned to Sophie. "And who is Mistress?"

Sophie gave her name.

Jumpy the house elf gave a jerky nod, "Yes, Mistress Roe is to comes with Jumpy too. Yous both is to come to the Hall with Jumpy, Master Malfoy says."

Snape sneered down at the creature as Sophie looked at it with sad eyes. The elf turned and started to lead them into the house. Sophie looked around, taking in the surroundings.

Everything was large and expensive. Some of the artifacts lying around looked like dark items, but she didn't dare question anything. Surely someone as influential as Lucius Malfoy didn't leave dark magical items in plain sight. Then again, maybe he was high enough that he could.

Their footsteps echoed in the hall as they were led to a heavy-looking door. Jumpy opened it with magic before they could reach it.

Inside, Jumpy scampered out of the way and they were able to lay eyes on none other than Lord Voldemort as he sat on what looked to be a throne. It was one of the only pieces of furniture in the room and the Dark Lord was one of the only people there. He was slowly stroking his Nagini, who laid to his right.

The evil man gave a scary smile as the two entered together. Snape was calm and collected as always and he was surprised when he glanced down that Sophia looked the same. Everything was turned off, as if she had no emotion at all.

"Sseverus," the Dark Lord stated. "Ssophia."

"My Lord," Snape murmured, his head bowed slightly.

"I trust that all is going well with the potion I require of you?" the Dark Lord asked.

Snape nodded, "Yes, my Lord. We are getting close to figuring out all of the correct ingredients for your potion."

"Very good, Severus," the Dark Lord replied.

His red eyes wandered over them and then snapped back to Snape's.

Severus knew what his master was looking for and immediately let him in, giving the wizard full access to certain parts of his brain. He could feel the pressure of another being inside his mind, but he did not push it out. This was something he was almost used to, at least as close to being used to as you could get.

"Very good," the Dark Lord purred again.

This time he turned to Sophia and she let him in easily. There were many blocks put up, but he didn't care about these. He knew they were a protection against Dumbledore and other members of his group and not really meant for him. He was strong in his belief that these two were faithful in following him against the Order and Dumbledore.

Voldemort pulled out of her mind only a moment later, seemingly pleased with what he found.

"Yes, things are going very well," the Dark Lord stated with a leering smile, his thin lips pulling back from his dark mouth.

The evil wizard stared at the pair before him for a long moment and didn't say anything. He went back to stroking the snake beside him, whispering things in Parseltongue that Snape didn't understand. They waited patiently for him to finish, never saying a word.

Suddenly, the Dark Lord began to speak to them once more, his words slipping from the snake-language to one they understood.

"Malfoy has offered to hold a sort of ball for the entire inner circle," the wizard stated. "He expects you to come as well, Sophia."

"Yes, my Lord," Sophie murmured in reply, her eyes lowering in a sign of respect.

The Dark Lord hissed happily and the two Hogwarts professors exited the room quickly and quietly. Jumpy was waiting outside, ready to escort them to the next room.

Snape knew the layout of this mansion like it was his own home, but he did not decline the house-elf as she shakily brought them to the ballroom. This was one of many that the Malfoy's owned and it was just as grand as the rest of the house.

Everywhere he looked, black cloaks roamed the room. Dark wizards and witches alike conversed easily with one another in this room. It could have been a business party to any outsider, except for the fact that every person there was on the wizard's most wanted list and they were all wearing Death Eater robes, some even with masks.

Severus and Sophia entered the room silently. Snape was known to keep his distance from everybody and Sophia was nearly an outsider to them so no one really stopped to speak with either one. This suited both people just fine.

It wasn't long until the host made his way over to their sides. He was wearing a plastered on smile, one that he used with people in high places, people who could get him somewhere. There was just a touch of malice to his smile, something in the undertone of it that said he wasn't someone to be trifled with, but his voice was happy and inviting as he spoke.

"Severus!" Lucius greeted.

Snape did not smile like his friend, but cast a cool glance in his direction.

"Lucius," he replied.

The blonde man's eyes darted quickly to Sophia and back. Snape took notice of this and made sure to remind himself to watch the man around her.

"Skulking in a corner is not very becoming of you, Snape," Malfoy stated.

Severus raised an eyebrow, "And what you have me do instead? Frolic through the Hall like some of your…cousins?"

His eyes darted to Bellatrix, who was cackling loudly, a drink in her hand, hair flying wildly. She kept moving from one person to the next, her husband casually watching her from a table with food laid on it.

Lucius Malfoy laughed, "Point taken, my friend. Come, join the party. I've got a surprise just for you."

Snape did not look back at Sophia as he followed the man through the crowd of people, although he was mentally aware of everything. He left her by the door, standing with her back against a wall in the middle of a sea of Death Eaters. He wasn't sure how she would manage, but he hoped that for both their sakes it was fairly.

"What surprise do you have for me now, Lucius?" Snape droned, his tone bored and uncaring.

Malfoy turned on his friend with a smirk and continued to lead him to the back of the room. It was then that Severus Snape noticed a crowd of people all around one corner of the Hall. They laughed and jeered and Snape got that sinking feeling in his stomach that he wasn't going to like what he found.

Sophie watched as Snape trailed after Lucius Malfoy without saying a word to her. It didn't bother her at all because she knew they weren't here together, they were just roles, playing parts. She was slightly curious about that 'surprise' the blonde haired man was giving Severus, though. All she knew was that it couldn't be anything good.

For a moment she debated on whether or not she should follow him, but the choice was taken away from her when a large man came up on her right. He smirked down at her, his eyes dark and glistening with untold horror. He was not a man to be messed with, Sophie assessed right away.

"And who might you be?" he asked, his voice deep and growly.

Sophie raised a sleek eyebrow, giving off a cool and uncaring air as she answered, "Sophia Roe, and you are?"

She recognized the man, but she didn't think she'd ever seen him in person before.

He grinned a toothy smile as he replied, "Fenrir Greyback."

Yes of course, Sophie knew of him now. He was a werewolf and he thirsted for human blood even when the moon wasn't full. The man was an evil of his own nature, too horrid to describe.

Sophie smiled in recognition, "The werewolf."

Fenrir smiled back and laughed darkly, "Yes, Ma'am."

A loud laughing came up from a crowd at the back of the room and Sophie's eyes darted toward it, subtle curiosity filling them.

Fenrir grinned as he followed her eyes to the corner that was making so much noise.

"You wanna go back there?" he asked.

"Lead the way," Sophie replied smoothly.

The werewolf started winding through the crowd and mostly, people moved before he could shove through them. It seemed that even Death Eaters were wary of this volatile man. Sophie felt no fear as she followed in his wake to the corner she knew Snape was at.

Her eyes landed on the men that were laughing and in the middle of it all, was a girl.

Snape's eyes fell on what everyone was jeering at, his surprise, only to learn that it was a girl. She was tied down, writing on a table, her eyes pinched tightly closed. For a moment, his heart stopped.

"We were on a raid, friend. I saw her and thought of you," Lucius stated.

The girl couldn't have been much older than seventeen. Her hair was bright red and her face held a quality that was very similar to one he once knew. She was gasping heavily, tears pouring freely down her cheeks, but she didn't make a sound.

"Reminded me of that Mudblood you were always after," Malfoy continued. "Happy Christmas."

The laughter sprung up again and though Snape did not normally participate in torturing muggles, he knew he would have to be very involved this time. He could not just kill her. All eyes were on him to do something horrendous to this girl. Already, he could feel his soul breaking apart once more and he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

With the mask of indifference firmly in place, he started his task of humiliating and torturing the woman in front of him. All he could think about was how she looked so much like her.

Snape cast the first unforgivable and she started to shriek once again. Her eyes flew open and he couldn't miss the bright green orbs that radiated pain. They flew around the room as she screamed, searching for someone, anyone to help her. He almost lost his nerve as he was reminded so much of the woman he loved.

His eyes darted around the circle, touching each laughing face. And then he found her, Sophia Roe. She was standing on the edge of the circle, near Fenrir Greyback. She looked calm and collected and unafraid of anything. Snape realized that she did not look fragile or helpless like he normally saw her and this was both surprising and slightly encouraging.

Severus turned back to the woman on the table and took a deep breath, wishing that he didn't have to do this. The muggle's eyes met his again and he was reminded that she left him and now there was a child who he was to protect, a child with her eyes. If this was what was needed to protect that little piece of her, then so be it.

The Potion's Master shut off all emotion and raised his wand again, preparing to say another curse until he could kill her.

Sophie watched as Snape stood with his wand pointed at the redheaded woman, her body writhing, and her mouth open in a loud scream. He did not look bothered by the fact that he was torturing this muggle, but he wasn't nearly as upbeat as the men around him. She reminded herself that this was all for the cause and that it was important. Dumbledore wouldn't have them do it if it wasn't.

She observed as Severus released the curse and took a look around the circle. Sophie knew he must have seen her, but he didn't act any different as he raised his wand again, crying out another Unforgivable.

Beside her, Fenrir Greyback was going wild. His shook his head back and forth and bared his teeth, snarling at the sight before him as if he wanted to join. Sophie knew that was probably exactly what he wanted.

"Ever seen one of these?" the werewolf asked, his upper lip pulled back over his teeth.

"Of course," Sophie replied calmly.

The man chuckled and let out a roar as the woman dropped lifeless to the table. For now, she was unconscious. Sophie felt only slightly relieved.

All around her, Death Eaters groaned in disappointment and Fenrir Greyback might have been the worst. He scowled and growled deep within his chest, shaking his head bath and forth in agitation and fury. Oddly, Sophie was not afraid of him.

There was much more torturing throughout the night. Many wizards had too much to drink and were toppling over themselves, laughing and cursing. Sophie stayed to the edge of the crowd, preferring to lean against the wall and observe everything that went on around her.

For a while, Greyback stayed at her side and tried to get her to speak, but she wasn't much fun. He promised to come back later and quickly left in the direction of the lively Bellatrix Lestrange.

Just as the party was winding down and Death Eaters started to stumble out of Malfoy Manor, Voldemort made his appearance. His robes billowed about him, an unseen wind carrying them through the air. He surveyed the room with a calm silence. Suddenly, everyone was sober and still. Not even the muggle captives made a peep.

"My loyal followers!" he started.

Sophie watched him closely as he walked about the room.

"Tonight is a night to celebrate!"

The Dark Lord's eyes landed on the woman in the back corner, the one who looked very much the muggleborn he knew Snape once adored.

"And what is that?" Voldemort questioned.

Sophie observed coolly, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She didn't move a muscle, didn't make a sound.

"That, my Lord, was my present to Snape," Lucius Malfoy spoke.

The Dark Lord's eyes lit up and searched the room until they landed on Severus.

"Have you thanked Lucius for your present, Severus?" the dark wizard asked.

Snape bowed his head. He could feel the dark energy radiating off of the wizard. The party hadn't even begun yet because the Dark Lord was just getting started with things.

"No my Lord," Snape replied.

He didn't have time to think before his body was wracked with pain. This was not uncommon, for the Dark Lord to punish his followers. He believed it essential for there to be union between them, but also a little discord. They must be united, but unattached to each other.

Snape dropped to the ground without a noise. His eyes closed so no one would see the pain there. Immediately, he went to the place where nothing could penetrate. It held good and memories, but all of them were things he didn't want to ever be found out.

As his eyes slid shut, he caught sight of Sophia. She was leaning against a wall; her arms crossed and face serious. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen her look so solemn.

Darkness descended and then her image swam before his eyes. The pressure of her lips, the burning sensation he got when he was kissing her.

Then another face was seen in his mind's eye. Hers. Lily's. He could see her so clearly, as she had been as a child, growing up. When he'd last seen her alive. Severus saw her as she was when she died.

The pain of the Cruciatus Curse tore through Snape and he ground his teeth together against it all. All he could hear was the blood pounding in his ears, a roaring that never ended. He could see all of the things he did wrong when she was around. He could picture the day he made that final mistake and she left him for good.

His breath came in short gasps. It was nearly unbearable, but he didn't give in to the urge to cry out and release some of the tension building in his body.

Snape's eyes flew open briefly until they landed on Sophia once more and all thought of her left. It was all about Sophia once more. The way she kissed, the way she smiled, her laugh, and her voice. Everything about her. Again, the pain receded.

From the crowd, Sophie watched as Severus writhed on the ground in agony. On the outside, she was cold. Her eyes showed now mercy, pity, or sympathy. There was nothing there to find. Inside, she was tearing apart. She wished she could help him, but there really was nothing could do. He would just have to tough it out on his own, like she knew he could do.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Dark Lord released his hold one Snape's body. He did not pass out for the duration of time that he was under the Unforgivable and he never once let out a cry of pain. Once again, his master commended him for his silence. Snape stood and stepped back into the crowd as the wizard turned to his next victim.

Across the room, he could see Sophia eyeing him, but she quickly turned away. The gaze was fleeting, he doubted anyone saw it.

When the 'party' ended, it was well past midnight. The sky was dark and Snape stepped out of the gates of Malfoy Manor and quickly Disapparated. He didn't have a clue where Sophia was at the moment.

Sophie was still inside the ballroom, having been cornered by Lucius Malfoy as she tried to make her escape. His arrogant smile and high-class gaze annoyed her and she felt antsy as he started a conversation.

"Ms. Roe," he drawled.

Sophie smiled kindly, teasingly, and replied, "Please, call me Sophie."

Lucius smirked, "Sophie. Have you had a pleasant night?"

The girl nodded, "Very. You have been a very gracious host."

She looked around at the mess the grand room turned into in just a few short hours. There was blood everywhere, obviously from the muggle victims, some of which were still laid out. Food and drink scattered the floor and walls. It seemed as if a tornado hit this portion of the Malfoy house.

"Thank you," Lucius stated. "I didn't see you with anyone in particular here."

Sophie did not like the direction this conversation was headed. By the entrance, she could see Narcissa Malfoy looking in on them. All the same, she smiled up at the man.

"I'm curious to know why such a fine young witch like you would be alone," he continued.

"I have a very busy life, Mr. Malfoy," Sophie answered. She began walking away, "It seems your wife is looking for you."

The witch walked out of the room quickly and started for the door, hoping she remembered where it was. Sophie did not get lost.

Outside the gates, she was able to breathe easier and she Apparated back to Hogwarts quickly. Her mind was on a certain wizard now. She wondered if he was already asleep.

Sophie didn't have to wonder long. He was waiting at the gates for her. His forehead was wrinkled and a scowl was etched onto his face, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Professor Snape!" Sophie cried when her eyes landed on him.

She took a moment to steady herself before beaming at the man with bright eyes.

Snape did not know how she went from being stoic and uncaring to this in just a short amount of time. He was always in a foul mood so that he would never slip up. There were other, more personal, reasons for his grouchiness, but this one was more acceptable to his guilty mind.

"Ms. Roe," Severus responded.

He could not say how relieved he was to see her. A weight seemed to be lifted when she came into view, completely unharmed and grinning up at him.

Sophie couldn't help it. Upon seeing him, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. It was impulse, really, and she never thought about what kind of affect it might have on the man.

Severus Snape immediately stiffened up as the girl's arms slid around him. He didn't have a clue what he was supposed to do. His mind shut off and he felt like shoving her away with all the force he could muster. Luckily, he caught himself before that could happen and forced himself to stay perfectly still.

A moment later, Sophie realized her mistake. She could feel the stiff body under her grip and pulled back. Her eyes searched his and she could see how uncomfortable he was.

She grimaced apologetically as she apologized, "I'm sorry. Too fast. I won't do it again."

Snape replied through slightly clenched teeth. He did not like to be touched.

"It's fine."

He watched as Sophia beamed up at him, but he quickly turned back to the castle gates and let himself inside. Behind him, Severus could hear her footsteps in the grass and he knew she was following.

The two made their first stop at the Headmaster's office. The old man never slept and this fact was proven true once again when they knocked and found him up, searching through a book with his half-moon spectacles on his nose.

Snape and Sophie relayed the night's events to Dumbledore and they conversed for a long while about what might be the plans of the Dark Lord. It was very late when the professors were dismissed and able to go back to their own rooms. The day had been a long one and each was ready for bed.

Sophie walked along beside the Potion's Master and thought of when she woke that morning. She never thought she would've been kissing Snape today and having a long conversation with him about where things were going. She didn't think she would be here now, walking silently at his side.

They came to the Entrance Hall first and this was where they would leave each other. Snape would head down into the dungeons and Sophie up to her rooms. The Potion's Master turned to the Herbology apprentice.

As Sophie looked up at the dark man, something above their heads caught her attention. She raised her head even higher to get a better look at it.

Snape followed her gaze, copying her movements of slowly turning his head upward. Above them, a small Christmas tradition was conveniently placed. His eyes fell back on Sophia.

"Mistletoe," the witch whispered.

Severus knew what came next. Slowly, he lifted his hand to her cheek, pushed back her hair, and lowered his head to hers. His lips caressed hers softly and his eyes closed.

Sophie's followed suit, happy that their night would not end on silent terms.

A few moments later, Snape pulled back from the kiss. His eyes were dark and he gazed at her for some long seconds. His hand didn't leave her cheek.

Finally, he pulled away from the girl.

"Goodnight," Sophie whispered, feeling as if she would break this spell if she spoke too loud.

"Goodnight," Snape replied. "Ms. Roe."

Sophie breathed a soft sigh as she watched him stalk down the stairs to the dungeons. For now, she was content with the way things were.

"Happy Christmas," she muttered quietly.

With that, Sophie silently made her way up to her rooms, feeling the day to be an overall success.


	25. Chapter 25

The rest of break progressed without an involvement from the Dark Lord. Sophie and Severus were left to themselves, working on the potion secretly in his lab. On more than one occasion Sophie turned up early or stayed late, finding that Snape didn't really mind and it was nice to talk to him outside of formal settings. They often retreated to his sitting room for these talks.

Snape didn't really understand what was going on. He agreed to be friends with Sophia, but he didn't even consider that she would start coming to his rooms just to talk. Her being there didn't necessarily bother him, in fact, he rather enjoyed these nights, but it was the principle of things. Before her, the only person to ever enter his rooms was Dumbledore. It felt like an invasion of privacy.

Sophie, on the other hand, was quite pleased with the way things were turning out. She couldn't have been more surprised the first time he invited her into his rooms and then kept inviting her there. The way she knew Severus Snape to be, she figured he would back out of this soon into it, but he proved her wrong there. Still, she wondered if maybe it just hadn't hit yet.

It was one of these nights, sitting on comfy Slytherin green furniture, where Sophie felt the burning. And Snape didn't. They were talking comfortably, simply talking, when the heat of the Mark shot through Sophie's body and scalded her shoulder where it lay.

Sophie gasped at the feeling, her eyes snapping up to Snape's. He didn't look affected at all, though maybe he was just hiding it well.

"What?" he questioned, his voice sharp, eyes curious.

The Herbology apprentice reached back and touched her Mark. Snape's eyebrows shot up on his forehead.

"You don't feel it?" Sophie questioned.

Severus shook his head only the tiniest bit, "No."

Again, the burning came in a fresh wave and Sophie gasped, "I have to go!"

Quickly, she stood and from that spot, she Apparated away.

Snape stared at the spot Sophia stood only a moment ago. He wondered why she was needed without anyone else, without even him. Then again, she did say that she was needed for other reasons than spying on Dumbledore. She did tell him that his role was safe. Perhaps this was just a part of that.

Severus sat in his chair by his unlit fireplace and waited quietly for the return of his colleague, in the meantime, he decided to read a book. He summoned it to him from his spot and opened it to the first page. For an hour, he would wait.

Sophie found herself in a house that she was very familiar with. The house she grew up in. Of course, once her parents were destroyed, Voldemort did not want to get rid of a house so strategically located. He assigned one of his followers to her old home.

At the moment, there was no one around. The Lord Voldemort stood in the center of the room his red eyes on her. He didn't speak a word as she righted herself and took a look around her old living room. It used to be a nice place to live. Now it was dark and cold, slightly damp, like the dungeons she so often frequented.

"Sophie!" Voldemort greeted, a large and fake smile on his face.

It looked abnormal, the way his lips curled. There was no happiness left in his soul and so the emotion displayed on his face was rehearsed obviously fake. It twisted her stomach to have to look at him while he tried to portray such a pure emotion as happiness.

Sophie bowed her head, "My Lord."

At this, his already raised lip curled and it was no longer happiness he tried to show, but satisfaction and greed. His dark red eyes glowed.

For an hour, Snape would wait, but the end wasn't quite what he was expecting. When an hour was up, a head appeared in his empty fireplace. The head of Albus Dumbledore.

"Severus, a word?" the Headmaster requested.

Snape nodded and rose to his feet, just as the wizard's face disappeared. He glanced around at his rooms one last time, with a thought to Sophia Roe, and then took a handful of Floo Powder and appeared in the Headmaster's office.

Everything was the same as it always was and yet it was different. Random things were added to or missing from the wizard's desk. Fawkes was nowhere to be seen, his cage empty. Dumbledore was not seated behind his desk, but wandering in the back of the room.

The Potion's Master observed his master from before the fireplace. The old man did not look up from his musings for quite some time.

"Severus," the Headmaster started and finally he turned to face the man he thought of like a son. "Please, have a seat."

Though not an order, Snape did as told and sat before the large desk. His eyes observed the wizard silently until he too came to be seated.

Dumbledore raised his fingers below his eyes. Tonight, he wore no half-moon glasses.

Snape waited for the older wizard to speak first. He didn't have the slightest clue as to what this might be about and he didn't dare take any guesses.

"Severus, we have a problem," the Headmaster started. He began to explain everything he knew about Harry Potter's dream of Arthur Weasley. He described it the way the boy saw it, from the point of view of the snake, Voldemort's point of view.

Snape listened intently, his mind working quickly to fit all the pieces together.

Dumbledore speculated aloud that this might be one of the effects of the Killing Curse used on the boy so long ago. He stated how if Voldemort didn't know about the connection before this, he would know soon and when he discovered it, he would most certainly use it against the boy.

"Severus," Dumbledore said.

His eyes were no longer twinkling with their usual mischief, but serious and cunning. This was why he was known as a great wizard. Not just for the way he knew everything, but the way his power radiated off of him when there was a situation at hand.

The magic in the air was palpable. Snape felt it on his skin, could almost see it rippling before him.

"If Voldemort gains control of this he could use it directly against Harry," Dumbledore stated. "We cannot allow this to happen."

Suddenly, it was very clear to Snape where all of this was heading. He could see clearly the path that the Headmaster laid out before him and he felt a twisting in his stomach at the thought. His lip curled to visibly show his displeasure.

"Severus, we must teach him the art of Occlumency," the wizard continued. "You are the only one I would trust with this task."

Snape stood abruptly from his chair, a scowl on his face.

"I will not do it!" he growled.

The thought of Potter under his teachings without an entire class around him seemed to be the worst thing imaginable. Two green eyes staring up at him out of a body that was the perfect copy of the man who tormented him for seven years straight, he would rather face Voldemort's Crutiatus Curse for hours on end.

Dumbledore was unfazed by the violent reaction the professor replied with. He expected something like this, perhaps even a few curses thrown.

"Now, Severus, this is of the utmost importance," the Headmaster told him. "The war may depend on Harry being able to shield his mind from unwanted visitors."

"Get one of your other cronies to do it. One of the ones that worship Potter at his feet. I will not," Snape spat. His eyes were dark, glaring at the Headmaster that made 'if looks could kill' nearly a real thing.

"I did not want to do this," Dumbledore said with a sigh.

Snape watched the wizard as he fixed him with his powerful blue eyes.

"You will do this, Severus," Dumbledore ordered.

Around them, the air crackled and Snape was reminded of an Oath he made fourteen years ago. He could feel his heart constrict and had the compelling urge to do as told. Although he hated it, Snape would be forced to take on the task of teaching the wonderful Harry Potter to shield his mind from those trying to enter it.

Snape's eyes hardened from the angry glare to nearly hate. He couldn't stand the fact that he was no longer able to decide. He hated to be controlled. But there was nothing he could do about it. Fourteen years ago, after she died, he gave his vow to do anything to protect the son with her green eyes.

"Of course, Headmaster," Snape replied curtly, the words clipped.

His lip rose in a snarl as he turned and exited the room, storming down the stairs. There was nothing he wanted more than to spend the rest of the night in his rooms with a glass of firewhiskey.

Dumbledore sighed as he watched the Potion's Master go. He didn't like forcing Severus into things, but there was no one better to teach Harry Occlumency and certainly no one at the school. The man would just have to live with it.

Snape entered his rooms and roughly collapsed into one of his chairs. His chest heaved as he thought angrily about the fact that he would teach Potter, alone. Immediately upon this thought, he summoned a glass and the bottle of firewhiskey and poured a generous amount into it.

"Old fool, great wizard he is," Severus muttered to himself.

Of course, he'd forgotten all about Sophia Roe and getting the call from the Dark Lord. It was a great surprise to him when she popped back into the room. His eyes snapped up to hers, shocked both that he forgot and that she was even there.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked immediately upon seeing him.

She knelt down by the chair he was sitting on to look at him more closely. Snape roughly shoved away from her and stood up, snarling. He glared down into the witch's eyes as she slowly rose once more.

Sophie had no idea what she'd done wrong. When she left, all was fine and he was in a particularly pleasant mood. Now he was glaring at her like she was Voldemort himself.

"What happened?" the woman asked.

Severus calmed a bit as he remembered that she was summoned to the Dark Lord and that he was awaiting her return in the first place. Before the call to Dumbledore's office, he was expecting her to Apparate right back into his rooms.

Now her eyes stayed locked on him, watching his every move. They were wide and innocent and curious about what he would do next.

"Dumbledore," he spat.

The name was like acid on his tongue, the taste bitter coming out of his mouth. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. This was out of his hands, but he wasn't going to like it.

"What happened?" Sophia repeated.

Snape's eyes wandered around the room as he tried to think of the words to explain his erratic behavior. The fury that still rolled through his body left him with few words as his chest heaved. He felt like taking out his wand and blasting something to pieces. He wanted to hit something, like his muggle father used to do when he was angry.

For a fleeting moment, his eyes landed on Sophia and he thought about her and her weak frame, staring up at him with those innocent eyes. They reminded him of his mother, who used to wait around on his father all day long. She would wait until he would come home and beat her and she would take it because she thought it was some kind of love. Sophia reminded him suddenly of that.

His hands balled into fists and he turned away from the witch, fighting the things inside him that turned everyone against him. These were the things that put him into Slytherin, which made his only friend turn away from him, and then killed his only love. He pushed it down and closed his eyes, focusing on something other than Dumbledore and Potter.

Sophie said nothing as she watched the Potion's Master fight with himself. She could see the anger inside of him, washing like waves through his entire body. Anybody else would have been terrified to stand in his presence when he was like this. Any other person would have taken off by now. But Sophie, she was afraid in the least.

Strangely, Sophie Roe wasn't at all scared of Severus Snape even as his fists clenched and he heaved with fury. She felt as she always did when around him, safe and comforted. Somehow, she knew he would not harm her.

This feeling was not rational. It wasn't right or in her best interests. Really, if Sophie was thinking properly, she should be absolutely scared stiff while standing before this man. Sophie was not really a rational girl, though.

When Snape turned around, he was much more collected. All of the anger he was feeling was pushed back from the surface and the mask of calm indifference went up again. All of the things which showed on the surface only moments before were tucked into that corner of his brain that was hidden from everyone.

His dark eyes met her light and he realized that she was unafraid of him. Normally, this would anger him and he would demand the fear and respect from her. But Sophia Roe was different and he'd known that for a long time now.

Snape breathed deeply for a second and then returned to his chair in a more relaxed pose. Sophia sat on the couch in the spot she occupied earlier in the evening. She watched him curiously and though the wizard wouldn't usually tell what was bothering him, this was Sophia and he wanted to tell her.

"Dumbledore," Severus started again. "Has asked me to instruct Potter in the art of Occlumency."

Sophie didn't have any problems with the Potter boy and didn't see anything wrong with this request on the surface, but she knew that there were deeper issues between Snape and the Boy Who Lived and so didn't comment on the statement.

"Dumbledore has ordered me to instruct the boy on how to close his mind," Snape said.

"And you don't want to," Sophie whispered, encouraging him to go on.

"The boy is closed minded to everything around him," Snape suddenly stated. "He is abysmal at Potion's when he is at his best. If he cannot focus enough for that he will not do well with Occlumency. Potter is too arrogant, too blind to see what he needs to do."

Sophie didn't quite agree with this assessment. She let him continue to talk.

"Dumbledore has ordered me to teach him even though he knows we will not work together well," Snape ended.

"Why doesn't he just make someone else do it? I'm sure there are more willing professors," Sophie replied.

Severus shook his head and began to feel the horrid anger rise within him again. He didn't want to explain at all to the girl, but there was so much more behind this that she didn't understand. Like when he said ordered, he literally meant ordered, as in forced, but to tell her that would lead to questions such as how the Headmaster could force him and why he would make such and Oath.

"He says there is no one else," Snape replied.

Sophie wrinkled her nose, but didn't say any more on the subject. She could feel that there were things there and she didn't think he would allow her to pry any deeper into his privacy tonight.

Snape sighed and leaned back in his chair. He was thankful to have befriended someone like Sophia because she always seemed to know when to shut up and when to keep talking. Right now, she knew that it would be best to just be quiet about everything and Severus Snape was relieved.

The room was quiet and both people relaxed into their seats. Snape closed his eyes and tried to think about other things. Sophie stared deeply into the fire, forgetting the room around her for just a moment.

"What did the Dark Lord wish to see you for?" Snape asked.

The question was so random, Sophie jumped before turning to face him.

She shrugged. What was there to say?

Snape raised an eyebrow. This was not an answer he took from anybody.

"Just a report on the latest comings and goings," Sophie replied.

"Why wouldn't he require my service for that?" Snape wondered aloud.

"Other comings and goings," Sophie quickly reiterated. "There are things that I discuss with Voldemort that must be kept secret. I am not allowed to tell you."

Snape knew that there were reasons a person wouldn't confide about their meetings with the Dark Lord, but he wanted to know why Sophia wouldn't tell him hers. Was it because his role really wasn't safe? Was she on the other side? He couldn't rightly say at the moment.

"Other comings and goings?" Severus questioned.

Sophia nodded, "Yes."

"And what are those?" the Potion's Master asked.

The girl blinked, "I can't tell you."

Snape stared for a long time into the girl's eyes before finally giving in. Perhaps he would ask the Headmaster about this. Maybe in a few days' time when he was no longer fuming over being forced into teaching the Potter boy.

He let the subject drop and they fell back into silence. Snape watched the girl closely as she turned once again to stare at the brick of his fireplace. She obviously knew he was staring, but she chose to ignore this piece of information and studied the rock on the wall intently.

"Dumbledore mentioned something the last time we talked," Sophia spoke randomly.

She turned to face him, her face bright and smiling.

"When is your birthday exactly?" she asked.

Snape hadn't expected this question. For a moment, he was stunned. Of course, it was just like the old man to meddle into his affairs once more and mention his birthday.

The Potion's Master scowled deeply, but he watched Sophia's face with a kind of wonderment. She was smiling at him, still. Even though he didn't like it, no one else smiled at him like that before. It was nice even if it was unwanted.

"None of your business," Severus replied coldly.

Sophia's eyes lit up and she grinned mischievously.

"How can I get you anything if I don't know what day it is?" the witch questioned.

Snape's lip curled, "I do not need anything."

"Of course you do!" Sophia argued, but she was still smiling from ear to ear.

He didn't say a word.

"When is it?" she pressed.

Snape didn't know how she did it, but twenty minutes later, the truth came out and he slumped in his chair, arms crossed in front of his chest. Sophia sat on the couch with a smug smile on her face as the Potion's Master glowered at her.

"January ninth!" the girl exclaimed. "So soon!"

Severus did not reply as he glared at the floor by his feet. He did not know how the little witch had gotten the date out of him, but he was already regretting it.

"What will I get you?" Sophia asked herself.

Snape's eyes snapped up to the girl's, "Nothing, I beg of you."

Her lips pulled upward in a grin, "I have to get you something!"

"You do not. I have just relieved you of this obligation," Snape protested.

Sophia just laughed at this and for a second the Potion's Master relished in the sound as it washed over him.

"Alright, whatever you say," she conceded.

It did not sound much like she was giving in, though.

For the rest of the night, they read and talked and just sat in each other's company. Tomorrow they would get back to work on the potion and in three days' time the students would come back to school, but for now they simply enjoyed their time being friends.


	26. Chapter 26

When the students arrived back from break, they were all loud and happily chatting with their friends on the way to the carriages that would take them up to the school. Snape oversaw the transfer from the train to the horseless carriages, though he could see plainly that they were driven by something.

It was the second of January and Snape thought about what Sophia Roe was planning at least four times a day. He hated surprises and he hated anything that put him into the spotlight even more. He didn't like to accept gifts or give them and he really meant it when he said she wasn't to get him anything. Severus was not one of those people who said the opposite of what they actually meant.

His eyes wandered over the flush of students, all mingled together so that houses were nearly impossible to distinguish. Snape's eyes landed on Potter and the boy was conspiring with his friends as he started toward one of the carriages. He was reminded again of his task.

A student bumped into him from the side and Snape snarled down at the boy, a second year from Hufflepuff. He was chubby around the middle with glassy brown eyes and a mess of brown hair on his head. He was stammering with apologies as he realized just who he ran into.

"Ten points from Hufflepuff, Mr. Hanes, for not paying attention to where you are going," the Potion's Master drawled, his voice dangerously soft.

The boy nodded mutely and then hurried off to where his friends anxiously waited.

Snape felt minute satisfaction from this and he looked around to find anyone else that obviously deserved to have points taken. So far, there was no one blatantly ignoring the rules of the castle and the wizard was left to glower on his own.

He stalked over to the last carriage, waiting specifically for him, and stepped up into it. The last of the students were already headed back to the castle and Snape followed, still glowering.

A welcome back feast was set for the return of the children and Severus moved up to the Head Table, which was back in its rightful place. He was relieved that there would be no more time spent sitting with students and listening to everyone converse. Now he would be left in peace in his spot at the end of the table. The only person he now had to worry about was Sophia.

She was waiting for him with a smile on her face. His grouchy mood did not deter the young witch as she continued to grin and start up conversation every time they were together. Although this could bother Snape, it didn't really. He sometimes pretended it did, though.

"How were the students?" Sophia asked as he took his seat.

Dumbledore was waiting for the last of the children to settle before he started his speech.

"Their friends will not be so happy when they get a chance to see how much their house points have gone down by," Snape replied smugly.

Sophia did not say anything, but the Potion's Master could tell she was not reproving as some of his other colleagues might have been. The air she gave off beside him was almost amused and he was happy to have someone on his side, though he kept it well hidden.

"I guess I will have to correct that tomorrow in class," the girl whispered back to him as the Headmaster started his speech.

"Do not think I won't also be taking points tomorrow," Snape stated.

Sophia let out a small, breathy giggle from his left. Severus Snape could not believe his luck in finding such a creature as her. She was so innocent and yet she chose to stay around him. He could not have been more satisfied with this, but he still wondered when he was going to mess everything up.

They were quiet as they listened to the last of the Headmaster's speech and then the food appeared before them and they were thoroughly distracted. The rest of the professors were back and Sophia had other people to talk to now, specifically Filius Flitwick to her left. Snape was only slightly disappointed that she would not be solely focused on talking with him anymore, but he pushed that emotion away immediately.

Instead of focusing on self-pitying feelings and things that were of no real importance, Snape decided to better use his time and listen to what the two were saying. He could hear every word if he paid attention and all that was needed of him was to look like he wasn't eavesdropping. Severus continued to eat his food and glare down at the school.

He stayed focused intently on what the two were speaking of, but it wasn't anything really important. They spoke of their holidays, what they received for Christmas, and what they would do now that break was over. Sophia spoke to Flitwick about Hagrid and whether or not he would return before the end of term.

Sophie listened to everything the tiny man told her and commented with her own stories about her holiday, but she was more focused on the man to her right. Professor Snape was eating his dinner stiffly and silently, but Sophie knew he was doing more than just watching the masses of teenagers below them. He did have two ears, after all. He would not be a good spy if he didn't use them.

When she was done speaking with Flitwick, she turned back to Snape and grinned. She wondered if he would own up to eavesdropping on their conversation or if she would have to say something.

"So you didn't feel the need to discuss with the man what you gave me for Christmas," Snape commented quietly and sarcastically.

Sophie had to admit, it was a clever way to admit he was listening. Her cheeks tinted slightly pink as she recalled that morning.

"I didn't think you would enjoy having your personal affairs laid out for others to see," she replied quickly.

Severus Snape looked down at her and raised an eyebrow as if to say 'Touché'.

The young witch couldn't keep it in for long, she beamed up at him and laughed, her eyes alight and sparkling in the Great Hall's brilliant light.

Snape could do nothing but watch her and comment to himself how gorgeous she really was. This was all stored in the back of his mind, though. No one could ever know he thought these things, he could barely admit to himself he thought them.

"When do your classes with Harry start?" Sophia asked.

This question instantly brought a scowl to Snape's face. There was nothing he wanted more than to get out of this promise to Dumbledore, but he could do nothing. At the moment, he was stuck with the order.

"Tomorrow," Severus growled lowly.

"Good luck," Sophia laughed.

"Will we be working tonight?" Snape questioned.

Beside him, Sophia Roe winced and started shaking her head, "I can't. Professor Sprout and I have neglected our duties over the holidays and now we have to get back to it. I'm sorry."

For a second, Snape was disappointed, but then he recalled how she would sing when she was 'alone' in the forest. He slowly nodded his head.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again.

"That's quite alright, Ms. Roe," Snape replied. "My stores do seem a little low lately."

Sophia smiled, "Another night, then?"

Severus Snape slowly nodded, "Another night."

Dinner passed quickly and soon everyone was exiting the Hall to their rooms for the night. Tomorrow, classes would start again and everything would return to normal.

Sophie met up with Professor Sprout outside the doors to the Great Hall. Snape was walking out behind them, wondering if he should follow or just take the time to get the last good night's rest before he would have to deal with the dunderheaded students in the morning. He truly considered the fact that she would be fine and didn't need him watching her while she worked, but his mind fed him images of that night. He could still hear the Herbology Professor's voice calling his name and he could feel the dead weight of the girl in his arms as her blood seeped into his robes.

No, Severus decided, he would have to go with her just to be sure there wasn't another attack. She was foolish to go out by herself anyway and she didn't even realize he was following her. Of course Sophia needed protection. He didn't know how he could think otherwise.

Before him, the girl and her mentor exited the castle, but Snape continued on to the dungeons. He knew their schedule pretty well by now and he didn't need to go out just yet. They would talk and do things in the greenhouses for a while before Pomona let Sophia out into the Forbidden Forest. He didn't want to leave the castle just yet anyway. How would it look if he just followed them out? Severus Snape was not a good spy by being stupid and parading what he was doing to anyone who cared to pay attention.

Instead of wandering down onto the school grounds, he stalked toward the Slytherin Common Room with purpose. The Potion's Master decided they would need a decent lecture after the holidays and he wanted to remind them of house points, that Umbridge was someone to be on the good side of, and that Quidditch was also a good way to take down the Gryffindors.

When the portrait opened to let him into the room, most of the students were still milling about. They had yet to settle back in and were talking loudly with one another about their breaks. Snape called them to attention immediately and they were silent as they waited for him to speak.

Snape looked over each of their faces coolly. Draco Malfoy was one of the few at the front of the group. The blonde-haired boy gazed at his professor with a haughty air, obviously stemming from that of his father's. Others he knew personally stood among the gathered crowd and he wondered how many of them would end up on the wrong side when this war ended. He wished he could spare them the horrors of that world, but he knew he could do nothing about it.

The Potion's Master spoke in a deep, carrying voice about what was expected of them with this coming term. If they were to get into mischief, don't get caught, if they were in trouble, come to him immediately and he would take care of things. He was their Head of House as well as professor and he could do things for them that others could or would not.

When the speech was done, Snape stepped back out of the room and into the dank dungeon hallway. One particular student followed him.

"Professor Snape!" the cool voice of Draco Malfoy called.

Severus didn't necessarily want to be there any longer, but he really had no choice. He was starting to worry about missing Sophia and he was anxious to get outside and follow her. But allowing Draco to speak to him was important.

He paused and waited as the boy caught up to him.

"What is it, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape questioned in a bored tone. "I do not have the patience or the time to stand here all night and chat with students."

The boy went on to ask more about Umbridge. He was already involved in the woman's ideas and such, but he wasn't sure how far he should go and he wanted to know more about how she could push him to farther places.

Snape explained how the woman was involved with the Minister of Magic in a very clipped tone and finally told the teenager that they could discuss this more on his office hours if the need was really that dire. He claimed he had much to prepare for the next day and told Draco that if he wasn't in bed soon someone might take off house points.

When the boy returned to his Common Room, Snape turned and stalked back up the dungeon stairs, quietly letting himself out of the castle. He was lucky tonight; he could just make out the form of Sophia Roe slipping into the trees at the edge of the forest.

Severus Snape started down toward that spot, his black robes billowing about his body and blending into the night. Without a sound, he entered the woods and started toward the voice he could suddenly hear, singing softly.

The Potion's Master slipped through trees and finally caught sight of her, collecting herbs from the roots of one of the trees. She placed them into a magical bag and carried on through the foliage that hindered her path. Snape trailed after her, his eyes observing everything.

Sophia continued sing and Severus basked in the sweet sound of her voice. It was something he didn't think he could tire of hearing. She didn't notice as he stalked her through the woods.

Something seemed off about tonight, but Snape couldn't place what it was. He was on alert, his eyes searching the trees for anything slightly out of place. Though he relished the sound of Sophia Roe singing, he wished she would just be quiet so he could focus. What he didn't realize was that she was also on alert, her eyes searching the woods just as his were.

Sophie felt something different about tonight, but she continued to gather the things on Professor Sprout's list. She knew she was reasonably safe and could defend herself if it came to that so she wasn't really worried. Still, she was aware of all that was around her as she sung softly to the night.

It wasn't until she was nearly done that something happened. It wasn't an Acromantula, which Sophie was immensely grateful for. No, out of the trees came nearly twenty centaurs, galloping into view. They stopped directly in front of her and glared down at her being.

Snape watched from a nearby tree, eyes wide. He was still and for now he would simply observe the situation, but from a hidden pocket, his wand slipped into his hand.

"You are trespassing on our land," one in the front stated.

His voice was hard and mean, leaving no room for negotiation. His hair was braided down his back and his dark eyes were cold. Sophie wondered what happened to him to make him so cruel to her.

"This is property of Hogwarts School," she replied.

"What business do you have here?" he questioned.

"I'm collecting plants needed for classes up at the castle," Sophie explained. "I'm an apprentice in Herbology."

"We do not permit wizards on our land," the centaur stated.

She didn't really know what to say to that.

"I'm sorry," Sophie replied. "What would you like me to do about it?"

The group was staring at her, angry and mean.

"Leave," the centaur ordered.

"Don't come back!" another yelled and still another cried, "Give us back the plants you stole!"

Snape didn't know how she did it. Centaurs were territorial beings and they didn't like wizards or witches on their land at all. With all the disruption of the war, they were becoming testy as well and they didn't approve of anyone, especially taking the plants that grew where they lived, though Snape didn't know their territory was this close to the school. One minute the creatures were angry and attempting to intimidate Sophia and the next they were talking politely with her.

It was a strange sight to see. Somehow she managed to negotiate with them and they allowed her access to the forest to collect the plants she needed. One even went so far as asking her if she needed a guide, though she kindly refused. When they left, Sophia Roe was perfectly fine and she started to sing once more.

Snape was dumbstruck. He knew this woman was the kindest he'd ever seen, but now she could negotiate with centaurs too? She was able to stand before the Dark Lord, laugh and smile immediately afterward, and she could talk with centaurs. He didn't know what to think of this woman.

Slowly, he placed his wand back in its spot and started after the woman again. He didn't think they would bother him, mainly because they didn't notice he was there.

He was right. No creature bothered him that night and after the centaurs went on their way nothing bothered Sophia either.

Between their encounter and the time when she would go back to the greenhouses, Snape observed the woman once again. He knew she was beautiful, but was constantly struck by it. Here under the moonlight, he thought she looked best. When everything was dark and she was unaware that any eyes were on her, she was gorgeous.

There was plenty of time for him to think about anything and everything as he watched Sophia Roe collect the plants and herbs for potions and herbology. Severus could have been thinking about the upcoming lesson with Potter, or he could have been thinking about his role with the Dark Lord, he even could have been thinking about the first day after the holidays.

Instead, for the first time since he was eight years old, he was wondering about his birthday, only days away. Snape was curious about what the girl would give him, though he never would have admitted it aloud. Still, he wondered if she would give him something great, like her last present, or if that was a fluke and he would have to pretend to like something impractical or awful.

The man would have never admitted it, but he was nervous. He wanted to like what she would give him, because she insisted on giving him something. Snape had an odd feeling in his chest that he tried to identify, but was unsure of what it could be. Strangely, he didn't want to disappoint her by not liking whatever she might give him.

When Sophia was done collecting the plants, she started back to the front of the forest. Severus followed silently. She was humming now, a tune that was rather pleasant to listen to.

At the edge of the trees, Snape watched as the girl started toward the greenhouses. She didn't look back once and this gave the Potion's Master the cover he needed to blend into the night and start up toward the castle.

Sophie happily made her way back up to the castle after handing over the plants that she collected with the permission of the centaurs. She didn't tell the woman about her experience. She didn't think it was really necessary, nothing happened.

As she got ready for bed, she thought about Snape and what he would've done if the centaurs did attack her. Would he have shown himself? Or stay in the shadows? The girl smirked as she slipped into bed and closed her eyes. In just a few short days, it would be Severus Snape's birthday and she was beyond excited for it to arrive.


	27. Chapter 27

The days between the student's arrival and Snape's birthday seemed to fly by to Sophie, but for Snape they were some of the slowest he'd ever encountered. Teaching the Potter boy turned out to be just as horrid as he thought it would be and he was both curious and cautious to know what exactly Sophia Roe was doing for the day. She kept alluding to it so that he wouldn't forget and so that his interest was constantly piqued.

January ninth finally arrived. Sophie was awakened by the sun shining through her windows. It was a Sunday, so there were no classes and she was able to sleep in, if only slightly so. Stretching, the girl made her way to the bathroom to shower and get ready before she would make her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Snape awoke as usual to the darkness of his dungeon bedroom. There was something he was supposed to remember, but he couldn't think of what it was. He got up, dressed, and made his way to breakfast without really wondering what the nagging in the back of his head was.

It wasn't until he was seated in the Great Hall and Sophia was walking up to the table did he remember what day it was today. It was his birthday.

The Potion's Master scowled at his food. No one liked their birthdays and Severus Snape liked his even less than he should. They brought up foul memories and he usually spent them alone in his rooms with a glass of firewhiskey. He was slightly curious about Sophia Roe's present to him, though.

Sophie smiled brightly when she saw Snape at his usual seat. He was scowling down at his food as if it insulted him in some way and she couldn't help but to find this amusing. She sat beside him with a grin and leaned closer to him.

"Happy Birthday," she whispered, she felt that he wouldn't like a lot of people knowing about it.

He shot her a look, but she just laughed lightly.

Severus wanted to ask her not to say anything about it to anyone, but he felt it would look like a weakness and so just stayed silent. He glared at his food before taking a bite of it.

"So, are you doing anything today?" Sophia asked.

Snape realized that she phrased the question in a way that would seem completely normal to anyone listening. Perhaps the girl was not as daft as she sometimes appeared to be.

"No," the man replied.

The Potion's Master watched as she nodded and ate her breakfast quietly. He didn't want to know what she had in mind for his birthday.

They finished breakfast as usual with some conversation here and there. Snape was mostly quiet, but he was thankful that no one made a big deal out of this day yet. Beside him, Sophia spoke to the squeaky Professor Flitwick.

"I heard you sung at Christmas," Flitwick stated.

At this, Severus was suddenly interested in what they were saying once more.

Sophie felt the crimson heat on her cheeks as she recalled that night, singing before all who stayed over the holidays. She was slightly surprised that it took this long for the little man to find out about it.

"Yes," she replied.

"Why don't you come to choir practice sometime?" he suggested. "The students would love it!"

"Oh, no," Sophie answered immediately. "I couldn't."

She didn't like the way Flitwick was staring up at her, making her feel guilty for not wanting to do it. Of course, singing on Christmas really wasn't that bad, but to sing in front of that class. And so many people were at the school now.

"Of course you can!" the tiny professor proclaimed. "You can set the date and pick what you want to sing and everything!"

If this was supposed to make her feel better about it all, it wasn't working. Sophie didn't know what was with this fear of singing in front of people was, but it was pressing and not something she could just ignore.

Sophie was about to protest again when she looked down into Filius Flitwick's bright eyes. He was waiting for her reply and honestly wanted her to show up. She didn't have the slightest clue why it was so important to him, but suddenly she wondered why it was so important for her not to go. There was no reason she couldn't and why should she deny him if this was really that important to him?

The girl sighed, "What days do you have classes? I have to make sure I'm not scheduled to go out with Professor Sprout."

The man's eyes lit up and he nearly squealed with delight. Sophie was at least glad that she could make him so happy. She smiled softly, but the fear of performing before a body of students was slowly overcoming her as Professor Flitwick went into detail about when she could come and what they were working on at the moment.

Breakfast finally ended and Sophie started out of the Great Hall with the rest of the professors. Severus Snape walked in front of her and she watched him, thinking out the day ahead of her.

It was the Potion's Master's birthday and she'd been hinting at it for a while now that she was going to do something for him, give him something today. At first she was unsure of how to go about all of this. After all, it was Severus Snape and she knew he didn't want anything big or gaudy or really anything much at all. He would want all of this to be a quiet affair.

Sophie decided that would be the way she would keep it.

She followed the man out of the Great Hall and into the hallways where students roamed freely, speaking loudly and doing completely idiotic things. Snape immediately started taking points from them as he made his way down into the dungeons he lived in. Sophie decided she would need to go to her room before she did anything about his birthday.

Snape wandered down into the dungeons after deducting a satisfying amount of points from both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw House. He didn't know what Sophia was planning, but she hadn't filled him in as of yet and he decided he would go on with the day as normal until she let him know what was going on.

His rooms were calm and quiet as he entered them. The place felt slightly damp and cold, but that was the way he preferred his living quarters to be. Snape summoned a book from one of the many shelves lining his walls and sat down to begin reading.

Sophia did not show up during the time between breakfast and lunch.

Up in her own rooms, Sophie knew that Professor Snape was probably expecting her to show up at any moment. When she was first planning out what she wanted to do for today, that was exactly what she decided on. Now, she was thinking of something else.

The time between breakfast and lunch went by at a sluggish pace. Sophie couldn't wait until lunch got there and then ended. That was when her real idea started. But when you were excited for something, time always went much slower than usual.

Snape was both relieved and disappointed when Sophia did not show up. He truly did not want to make a big deal about his birthday, but he was expecting her and curious to know what would come when she finally did. Oddly enough, he also enjoyed her company and he figured she would probably be around whether he wanted her or not today.

When lunch finally arrived, Snape set aside his book and swept up the stairs and onto the main floor where students were filing into the Great Hall for the afternoon meal. He was happy to take off a few more points from Gryffindor when he caught a few second year boys wrestling around before he strolled through the professor's entrance and proceeded to his seat.

Sophia arrived after him, but this was not unusual. Her room was farther away from the Hall than his and so she normally showed up later. Besides, Snape was always punctual and no one else really seemed to care about that.

She took her seat to his left and flashed him that smile of hers. The one that had him wondering if she really knew who he was. Surely there was something wrong with her to know who he was and still be smiling brilliantly at him like that.

"Good afternoon, Professor Snape," Sophia greeted as she sat down.

"Ms. Roe," he replied.

She grinned and turned to the food that just appeared before them.

"Are you doing anything after lunch?" the girl questioned.

Snape knew she'd asked this question before and he sneered at her as he would to anyone else as he answered, "I thought we already discussed that I was not doing anything today, Ms. Roe. Or have you forgotten already?"

"No," she replied. "I was just making sure."

Though Severus was not normally as cruel to Sophia as he was to everyone else, all of this waiting had him on edge. He didn't like this and he took out on her in the only way he knew how. He thought maybe she would be upset by what he'd said, but the girl simply smiled as she turned back to her food. There was definitely something off about her.

Snape returned to his food as Sophia did the same.

"You're going to sing for a one of the choir classes?" Snape stated, looking to his left at the woman seated there.

She paled slightly at his words and she lowered her fork to her plate.

Sophia nodded, "Yes."

Beside her, Snape was aware of Flitwick's head turning minutely toward them and he knew better than to start questioning her about it now. The tiny man would be listening to everything they said.

Instead of talking to her about it, he nodded his head and tucked the information away for further examination. He would ask Sophia about it later.

Lunch went by quickly and at the end of it, Severus stood from his seat. He wondered if the witch rising from her chair would follow him this time, but didn't stick around to see. He swept out of the Great Hall and toward the dungeons. If he could pass the day in his room, only emerging for meals, it would be a great birthday in his mind.

Little clicks on the floor beside him alerted Snape to the witch walking quickly next to him. He glanced down briefly to see her smiling face as she looked back up at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" the Potion's Master questioned coldly, but the corner of his lip turned upward in a small smirk that was not so cruel.

Sophia grinned back at him, "I'm coming with you, of course."

Snape did not object.

When they got to the wizard's rooms, Severus unwarded his doors and entered without a word. Sophia followed him through the doorway and closed the door again behind her. The wards were immediately in place once more.

Sophie looked around the room, though she'd seen it too many times before. It was the same as always, dark and dank with the fireplace unlit. Everything was in its place, not a mess anywhere even if house-elves weren't allowed in to clean.

The witch flopped into a chair like she owned the place and smiled up at Severus. He raised his eyebrows at her, but took his own seat on the couch.

"So, I got you something," Sophie stated nervously. "It's not much, nothing like Christmas, but I hope you like it."

Severus felt the same way. If it was another book that he already had, he would just have to fake sincerity when saying that he enjoyed it. There was no way he could possibly tell her he didn't like a gift she was so excited about.

Sophia reached into her pocket and pulled out a small box wrapped in dark green paper. At least it didn't look like a book.

Snape watched as she took out her wand and muttered a spell. The box tripled in size and he winced, this was more the size of a book someone might give him.

The Potion's Master quickly hid his grimace and turned his face into a neutral mask as Sophia turned to him with a beaming face. He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Oh, here," Sophia replied.

She handed over the wrapped box. Snape took it from her and looked down at it wearily. Slowly, he tore the paper from the gift and watched what was underneath.

Black appeared, but now he wasn't thinking it was a book. Severus didn't know what she could have given him. Pealing back the rest of the wrapping, his eyes landed on a box. It was plain black without any extras on the outside.

Snape glanced up at the woman who was watching him intently. The smile of hers was not as big anymore, but it was still there. He didn't want to disappoint her if he didn't like it, but he couldn't think about what reaction he was giving at the moment.

For the first time in…forever, he was actually curious without worrying about violence, gore, who this would hurt, or if it would hurt him. The feeling was foreign to the Potion's Master, but he reveled in it all the same. It was some kind of relief to just simply be curious.

The box opened and his eyes landed on a pristine set of glass vials. They were potion's vials, ones that were more expensive than he thought she would pay for, especially for something as foolish as his birthday.

As he took a closer look at them, he noticed a word written at the top of the box and he sucked in a quiet breath. They were new and high quality, shatter-proof with a few other properties he hadn't really looked into. Snape heard about these, but Hogwarts didn't buy them and he wasn't really looking to spend too much money.

His eyes wandered up to the witch who was still sitting in his armchair, watching with a curious expression and a smile playing at her lips. She was obviously waiting for some kind of hint from him to tell her if he liked the gift.

"This is?" Snape asked slowly.

Sophia nodded, "Yes. I couldn't think of what else to get you and I didn't think you needed any more books."

"No," Snape scoffed.

His eyes fell back down to the vials in the black box that she'd given him.

"Do you like them?" the witch questioned and Snape could hear the nervousness in her voice.

Snape didn't know how she could ask that. This, after the cloak, was the best gift anyone had ever given him.

"You don't have to answer that," she said softly.

At first, Severus didn't know what the witch was talking about. He didn't understand why she would say that. And then he thought about the question she asked. She was right; he didn't feel exactly comfortable answering the question because he didn't like to give things about himself away. He didn't know how she always knew so much about him and it made him a little uneasy, but with her the feeling didn't last long.

They stayed in his room and simply talked for hours. The atmosphere was calm, relaxing, neither had to do anything to change themselves for the other. Discussions ranged from parents to potions, but the topic didn't really matter because just talking like this was perfect.

When dinner rolled around the two professors left Severus' living quarters and ascended the stairs from the dungeons. Snape wore his usual mask of indifference and beside him, Sophia was smiling wildly.

The Great Hall was filled with students as they entered from the professor's door. Voices buzzed in their ears, loud and almost unwelcome. Severus scowled down at all of the young faces, Sophia grinned.

Sophie was glad the day was turning out to be okay. She didn't think Snape was upset by anything she'd done so far and that was good. He seemed to like his present and she was relieved and happy to know that. Still, there was one more thing left, but that would come after dinner.

She couldn't keep the smile off her face this evening and she knew it was because Severus liked his gift and allowed her to stay and talk to him for hours. Sophie enjoyed spending time with the Potion's Master, but she worried that she might overstep her boundaries and be pushed away from him. So far, they seemed to be okay.

"What are you so happy about today?" a small voice squeaked to her left.

Sophie looked down at the little man and replied with a grin, "Oh, I've just been talking with a really good friend of mine."

Flitwick smiled, "That's nice."

"Yes," Sophie answered.

His attention was drawn elsewhere a moment later when the witch to his left began calling his name so Sophie turned to Snape once more. He was finishing his dinner quickly without the distraction of anyone else talking to him.

At the end of the meal Sophie rose and followed Severus from the Great Hall. He was sweeping through the halls already, taking points from a few first years as he went.

"Professor Snape," Sophie called, attempting to get the man's attention.

He raised his eyebrows, "Yes?"

They'd already discussed spending a few more hours in the Potion's Master's rooms after dinner, but the witch had something to do beforehand.

"I'll meet you in the dungeons?" she asked.

Severus made a face, like he was wondering what she would need to do, but he didn't question her. He slowly nodded his head and turned on his heel, stalking toward the dungeons, menacing as ever.

Sophie breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't ask her anything about what she was doing. She knew she would tell him if he asked, and that he probably wouldn't like it, but she wanted to give him one last thing.

Quickly, the substitute professor skipped through the halls to one that was not so crowded. The only thing that was in this hall was the portrait with fruit. Sophie tickled the pear and the picture swung open to reveal the kitchens.

House-elves swarmed the place as usual and when they noticed her presence, they turned hopeful eyes on her, excited to do as she asked. The appearance of one particular elf had their eyes turning back to their work, scowling at the floor.

Dobby grinned up at Sophie, his eyes shining and his ears flapping.

"Is it done?" the witch asked with a slight smirk of her own.

"Oh yes, Ms. Sophia. Dobby has done what Ms. Sophia asks," the elf replied.

"Thank you, Dobby!" Sophie exclaimed. She could hug the elf for doing this favor for her.

His smile was large as he hopped off to get what Sophie requested from him a few days prior. She watched him until he was out of sight, lost within the crowds of house-elves. Only a few moments later, he was back, his smile as bright as when he left.

"Thank you so much, Dobby!" Sophie cried as she took the chocolate-frosted chocolate cake from him.

"Dobby is happy to help someone as kind as Ms. Sophia!" the elf replied.

Sophie said her thanks again and then headed out of the kitchens. She was a little nervous bringing this back to Snape's rooms and she placed a charm on it to keep it from getting squashed before shrinking it and sticking it in her pocket.

A few students waved as she made her way to the dungeons, but it was getting late and most of them were on their way to the common rooms so they didn't stop to talk. Sophie was able to make it to the Potion's Master's quarters without being detailed.

She knocked on the door, though she knew Snape was expecting her. Though they had become something like friends over these weeks, they were not nearly close enough for her to be able to waltz right into his private quarters, or even his personal lab. She had no doubt that his wards would knock her on her butt if she ever tried to open that door without his explicit permission.

"Enter," came the velvety voice of the Potion's Master.

Sophie opened the door and strode into the front room that she was so comfortable with.

Severus Snape was sitting in one of his Slytherin green armchairs. In front of him sat a pile of papers and an open bottle of red ink. His quill sat in it as if he'd just been writing.

"Sorry about that," Sophie said as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.

The witch walked around the back of his other armchair and sat on the couch that faced the fireplace. She wondered if he would ask where she'd been.

Snape nodded, but didn't question her and Sophie almost thought this was worse. Now there was a cake in her pocket, a charm keeping it from coating the inside of her robes, and she was debating to herself how she would tell him about it.

All she could think about was what she would do if he wasn't pleased with it. What would he say? Would he simply refuse to eat it? Would he make fun of her attempt to do something else for his birthday? Hopefully he would do none of these.

They talked for a little bit and Severus graded third year essays while commenting to her about how dumb each student really was. Sophie didn't argue with his opinions, they were valid enough. She knew he was hard on each of them because he really wanted them to succeed.

Finally, Sophie gathered the courage to tell him about the birthday cake that waited in her pocket.

Severus knew something was up. From the moment Sophia stated that she would meet him in his rooms, he knew there was something off. He didn't ask her about it because he could sense that she would tell him later. For the moment, he would simply wait it out.

The Potion's Master waited it out, immersing himself in friendly conversation with the witch and he could see that she was itching to tell him something. He could wait. Patience was one of his strong suits.

"So, there's something else that I want to give you for your birthday," Sophia began.

Snape could see that she was nervous and her words made him nervous too. He already did the whole present thing today, waiting anxiously to know whether he would actually like the gift or not. She'd done well on the first one, so he was not as apprehensive this time, but he just really hated getting presents.

He raised an eyebrow in his usual cool manner, as if it didn't affect him in the slightest.

"Oh?" he asked, waiting for her to reveal it.

Sophia's face was turning red and he hoped that he would like whatever it was that she was giving him. He truly did not want to disappoint her after all she'd done to stick by him.

"Yes, well, it's not exactly a gift that you can use," the witch stated. "But, well, here."

Severus watched as she reached into her pocket and pulled out something that fit in the palm of her hand. She muttered something and the thing in her hand grew in size. Snape was surprised to learn that she was doing wandless magic, so surprised that he missed what exactly she was holding.

For a moment, the room was silent and Sophie felt her anxiety spike to an alarming high. Snape's eyes darted down to what was in her hand and his eyes widened.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

Severus Snape stared at the chocolate cake in the witch's grasp, unable to really grasp the concept that she made him a cake. Or rather, she got him a cake from the kitchens. Still, he couldn't remember if he ever at a cake on his birthday before.

He heard that the girl said something, but the words were fuzzy and ran together in his mind. He was shocked that she would do this for him.

"Do you like it?" she asked again.

Snape's eyes snapped to Sophia's.

"Yes," he breathed.

He watched as Sophia's face fell to an easy grin and she set the cake on the table before them. Snape put his papers on the floor beside his chair, bottling up his ink and placing it on top.

"Would you like a piece?" Sophia questioned.

Severus nodded and she took out her wand to magically cut the thing into pieces. Suddenly, his mouth was watering as the smell finally reached him. He couldn't wait to take that first bite.

They ate their chocolate-frosted chocolate cake quietly, savoring the taste of the still-warm dessert. Snape summoned a bottle of some kind of alcohol from his stores and poured them each a glass, handing one to the girl sitting on the couch. Their hands brushed and Snape could feel the warmth of her skin long after they broke apart.

Sophie could feel it too. She finished her cake in silence, glancing up at Severus Snape every now and then. He was finishing up his piece as well, washing it down with the liquid in his glass.

When they were both done, it was getting late and Sophie knew that it was about time for her to leave, but she didn't want to move just yet. She was comfortable in her spot, sitting here with the Death Eater, spy.

"I…guess I…should be going," Sophie announced, rising from her spot.

Snape made a sound of protest and stood too, walking toward her.

Sophie couldn't move. She watched as he got closer until they were nearly touching noses.

"Did I ever tell you thanks for all of this?" the man breathed.

His breath hit her lips and they parted of their own accord.

"Not that I recall," she whispered.

Her eyes stayed locked onto his.

"Thank you."

And then he lowered his face to hers, his hands coming up and sliding through her hair. Snape couldn't think about anything but the feeling of her lips against his. Sophia's arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him to her tighter as her eyes slid shut and she responded to him.

They breathed quickly, every kiss they shared seeming to be different from the last. It was filled with passion and the emotions that were displayed were some that Sophie never thought she'd get out of someone like Severus Snape. But here it was, and she was throwing it right back at him.

Snape couldn't believe anyone would have gone through all of this trouble simply for his birthday. The only one who even acknowledged that he had one was Dumbledore and he wasn't very fond of the old wizard's company. The fact that the person who did this for him was Sophia only added to his elation and the feelings that suddenly filled his chest were ones that he couldn't identify.

All that Severus Snape knew was that there was this overwhelming sense of something and the only thing he could do about it was to kiss her. Maybe then she would understand what was going on with him, but he doubted it. He didn't know how to express what was suddenly running through his head, but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it now.

Sophie couldn't have been happier that the Potions professor stopped her before she had the chance to leave his rooms. She couldn't have turned out better. Now that he was kissing her, she could think of nothing else and the feeling of contentment only escalated.

The witch felt so safe in the man's arms, she wouldn't ever be able to explain it. She hoped one day she would be able to tell him how she felt, but for now this could be good enough. Sophie knew she could enjoy this until the war ended and she didn't have to worry about outside forces and their views.

As Severus Snape pulled away a few inches, a grin of pure bliss crossed Sophie Roe's face and her eyes opened slowly.

"Happy Birthday."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: I have a few things to say before I send you on your way to read the latest chapter. I'm terribly sorry for the lack of posts in the last few months. I do have a few excuses, but they're pretty lame. School started back up and I've been a little busy with that. Also, I wrote this chapter about a month ago and forgot to save it...it got deleted and I lost everything I wrote, so I've been trying to rewrite it, but finding it very difficult. Oh, and my computer died. I've been working out of safe-mode for a while now and I'm writing on wordpad, so I apologize for any mistakes that haven't been caught. I want to thank everyone who's read up to this point and all of those who've reviewed! It makes my day every time I read a new one, or the one's I've read before. Um, I don't think I've said that I don't own Harry Potter, but I don't. I'd love to, though, if anyone wants to give Harry (or at least Snape) to me for Christmas that'd be awesome =) Well, that was really long so I'll let you get on with the chapter. Merry Christmas!**

A few months after his birthday and things were still going well between Severus and Sophia. They spent a lot of their time in his office or front room or his potion's lab. Sometimes they worked or graded papers, other times they simply talked. It was strange for Snape to be so comfortable with someone and be able to talk openly with them, but he was slowly becoming more accustomed to being free with her.

Presently, Severus was sitting at his desk in his office grading third year essays. Sophia had other things to attend to at the moment and he found himself wishing for her company, kicking himself for it.

Snape dunked his quill into the red ink and scrawled a large P on the front of the essay he was currently grading. His lip curled as he looked to the next page. Still five more papers to grade before he could go to lunch, then a pile of seventh year essays after that.

In the months after Severus's birthday, some things had changed. Hagrid came back from his trip and Sophia was done teaching Care of Magical Creatures. Instead, she helped with Herbology and spent her time there. Umbridge was getting worse. He generally disliked everyone he came in contact with, but Dolores Umbridge was probably the worst in the school other than the Potter brat. He absolutely loathed her.

Neither Snape nor Sophia had gotten more than two summons from the Dark Lord. Each time, he asked them how far they'd come with the potion and proceeded to torture them for a bit. It wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been and both were shocked at how far in between the calls were.

As he scribbled a note on the paper he was grading, something about horrid handwriting and throwing the essay out altogether, there was a knock on Snape's door. He glanced up and glared. Severus Snape hated interruptions.

"Enter," he growled, wanting to terrify the student who dared to knock on his door on a Sunday morning.

The door opened to reveal a fifth year Slytherin, Johnny Laden. He was not the brightest of his grade, but not nearly as dumb as Crabb or Goyle. The boy sauntered in and came to a stop before his Head of House's desk.

Snape raised an eyebrow at the boy, feeling the need to intimidate him when he didn't outrightly state his reason for being there.

"Yes, Mr. Laden? Why have you so rudely disturbed me this morning?" Snape sneered.

The boy raised his chin as he answered, "Dumbledore. He wanted me to give you this note."  
Johnny Laden paused, realized his reply might have been too disrespectful, and tagged on to the end of his sentence, "Sir."

Severus sighed, "Very well. You are dismissed."

Laden nodded once and hurried out of the room. He was lucky to have escaped without points off or more detentions under his belt. Snape was not feeling the most generous of people today and he only just caught himself before doling out some punishment when he remembered that it was one of his Slytherins before him and not some nosy Gryffindor.

Looking down at the note Dumbledore sent him, Severus tore it open and quickly scanned its contents. The Headmaster wished to see him before lunch. Snape glanced up at the clock on his wall. Lunch was about forty-five minutes away. He still had time to finish grading these few papers before making it to his office.

It wasn't long until Snape was done grading the essays and was able to place them back into the drawer in his desk. The seventh year ones glared up at him, telling him that he still had unfinished business to attend to, but there were other places to be. He stood and exited the room, warding the door behind him.

The dungeons were cold and quiet, but this did not bother Snape. He was used to both. No one traveled into the dungeons other than Slytherins and even they didn't come as far as his office door unless they absolutely needed to.

As he neared the Entrance Hall, Severus started seeing more students. While still in the dungeons, they were still Slytherins, coming and going from the Common Room. When he left the confines of Slytherin territory, he began to see more of the rest of the Houses. He glared at them as he passed.

Snape started toward the Headmaster's office, taking off points from those students that he saw fit to. Mainly it was those who didn't get out of his was fast enough or were blatantly obvious about their rule breaking. He was half way there when something hit him. Literally.

"Jordin, catch!" a voice yelled.

Snape saw a boy run by him and opened his mouth to take points, but the feeling of his head being forcibly pushed forward stopped him. Instantly, he was livid.

Severus spun around, glaring at everyone around him. The entire hall paused, staring open-mouthed at him.

"Who threw that ball?" Snape questioned loudly.

His eyes scanned the area, trying to figure out which one of the students hit him.

No one said a word. A few of the kids farthest away from him inched down the hall, getting away from his wrath. He let them go, focusing on the ones in his immediate vicinity.

Snape straightened up to his full height and glared menacingly at every single child.

"Who threw the ball?" he asked again.

Still, not a soul spoke. No one admitted that it was them.

"If someone does not come forward then you will lose fifty points each and all of you will have detention for a month. With Filch," Snape announced.

They didn't dare move or take in a breath.

"Well?" Snape asked.

At last one child stepped forward, a boy Severus recognized from his fourth year classes. A Gryffindor no less. His name was Reily McMahn.

"Mr. McMahn," Severus sneered, glaring at the teenager. "And who were you throwing the ball to?"

For a moment, he didn't reply.

"Mr. McMahn?" Snape prompted.

Reily's eyes slid behind Snape to the left and the Potion's professor spun around to find Jordin Leonard. Jordin was also a fourth year, but from Hufflepuff.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor," Snape announced. "Ten from Hufflepuff for playing games in the halls. I'll see you both in detention tomorrow after dinner. 6 o'clock."

"But there's a Quidditch game tomorrow," Reily protested.

A small smirk found its way onto Snape's face, "Too bad for you, Mr. McMahn. Tomorrow at six."

With that, Severus turned on his heel and left the scene, holding the football they'd been throwing in his hands. He continued on his way up to the Headmaster's office without another problem. It seemed everyone was trying to stay out of his way a little more than they normally did and that was alright with him.

Snape made it to the gargoyle blocking the entrance to Dumbledore's office and grudgingly gave the sickening password, Exploding Bon-Bons. The stone creature leaped out of the way, revealing a familiar winding staircase. At the door to the Headmaster's office, Snape knocked.

"Come in," Albus Dumbledore's voice called.

Severus opened the door, but Dumbledore was no where to be seen. This didn't disturb the Potion's Master and instead of taking his usual seat in front of the old wizard's desk, he wandered about the room and observed all of the strange things the wizard kept. Half of them he knew of, but had never seen before outside of this room. The other half he didn't know anything about and he wondered if he'd ever have the chance to find out what they did.

"Ah, you found my Memory Glasses," Dumbledore said, his voice carrying throughout the room.

Severus turned to find the Headmaster descending the stairs, the old man's eyes twinkling as they always did when he knew something.

"They're a great use when you don't have a Pensive around," Dumbledore continued, petting Fawkes on his way to his desk.

The Potion's Master left the walls of things, wondering how you were supposed to get the memory inside the glasses to view it, but pushing that to the back of his mind to focus on the reason Albus called him here.

"You wanted to see me?" Snape drawled.

Dumbledore nodded and sighed, though the shine in his eye never completely disappeared.

"Severus, I fear that Voldemort is gaining followers again. He has not summoned you in quite some time," the Headmaster started.

Snape shifted in his seat, immediately in spy mode, his brain shifting to think analytically about anything that came at him. He broke down everything Dumbledore told him quickly, going through it while the man continued to speak.

"How is the making of the potion coming? We cannot keep it from him much longer without having a legitimate excuse or Tom will catch on. Besides, I do not think it should hurt us in the long run unless the potion gives him strength as well as a longer lifespan," Dumbledore said.

"It is very nearly complete," Snape replied. "A few more tests and I think it should be finished. You think it wise to hand over such a potion?"

Dumbledore sat back in his chair, hands folded together, "I don't think we have much of a choice anymore, Severus. We cannot keep him from it for too long. You are much too smart for the potion to take much longer and Tom knows it. He will call you soon and when he does, you should have something concrete to tell him."

Snape nodded. He could see where the Headmaster was coming from with this and it seemed logical to him. He'd been starting to think along the same lines anyway, but he didn't feel the need to bring it up yet. As always, Albus Dumbledore was one step ahead of everyone else and brought it up before he could.

They went over tactical plans for a while and discussed other parts of the Order. A lot of their conversation was spent on Harry Potter and what should be done about the Dark Lord's presence in the boy's mind. Finally the conversation wound down and Snape started to rise. Dumbledore raised a hand that had him sitting back in his seat.

"I do have one more thing to discuss with you, Severus," the old wizard started.

The Potion's Master waited without speaking for the older man to go on.

"How is our newest professor, Sophie, doing?" Dumbledore questioned.

Snape was startled at this new direction of conversation and he scowled as he caught on to what the Headmaster was doing. He was trying to meddle into his personal life again, trying to control yet another part of his life until he was suffocating from the old man's pressing. He was instantly on guard, bristling, and angry, though he tried to keep it in check for the time being. How was he supposed to know how the witch was? He was not her keeper. He didn't know how she was doing.

"I only ask because I know she's been spending so much time with you," Dumbledore continued.

Severus sneered, of course he did. The old wizard knew everything.

Dumbledore sighed, "Anyway, I was wondering what you were getting her for her birthday. Minerva's bought her some books and Filius thought maybe a photo album. I've dicovered she rather enjoys Chocoballs and I plan on giving her a box or two along with a few other odd trinkets she's showed interest in while around me. We were thinking a party for her, maybe in the Room of Requirement."

Snape's eyes narrowed. She'd never told him about her birthday coming up.

"Ah," Dumbledore nodded. "She didn't tell you?"

The younger wizard's eyes snapped to the man. He was angry and annoyed that she didn't tell him after all she'd put him through about his birthday. Snape didn't know what he would get her or if he even wanted to acknowledge the day, but he certainly wasn't going to go through any of that right now, not in front of the man who noticed everything.

"It's none of your business what I'm doing for her birthday," Snape snapped.

This only seemed to prove whatever Dumbledore was originally thinking because he nodded.

"Perhaps we should head to lunch," Dumbledore suggested, rising from his chair, beard swinging against the edge of the desk.

Severus stood too, feeling edgier than he had in a while. He didn't like that the Headmaster thought he could poke his nose into his affairs whenever he liked. He hated that the man had control of everything he did like a muggle puppet on strings. Snape didn't have single thing to himself.

They walked together from the office and down the sprialing staircase, passed the gargoyle guard. Snape was furious, but he didn't say a word. He quietly fumed inside his own mind as they walked through the crowds of students going the same way they were.

When they made it to the Great Hall, they split up. Snape stalked toward his seat on the end and Dumbledore ended up in the middle of the table. The sound of voices filled his ears, an incessant buzzing that he really didn't want to hear today. Still, he gathered some food onto his plate and began to slowly eat.

Sophia wasn't in the room yet, but he hadn't expected her to be. She was working with Sprout and they would have been busy in the gardens. Her most probable course of action after all spending the morning in the dirt would be to go up to her room and wash up before coming down to eat.

Sophie laughed as she entered the castle with Professor Sprout on her left. The morning was cold, but as spring came the days were getting steadily warmer. Their cheeks were red with the low temperature as the doors closed behind them.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Sprout said.

The girl grinned and nodded, waving as she took the stairs through the crowds of children, up to her room. A few of them stopped to say hello or smiled at her as they passed and she returned the gestures. It was just about lunch time and she figured she would wash all of the dirt off her before she went down to eat.

She whispered the password at her door and entered with a sigh. The room looked exactly like she left it. As she made her way through the place, she stripped off her outer layer of clothes and moved into the bathroom. Hot water steamed up the mirror as she brushed out her hair and put it in a pony-tail before stepping under the scalding rain.

Sophie scrubbed the dirt off of her skin and let herself just relax under the too hot water. It was almost too much, but she couldn't help leaving it that way, wanting to melt beneath the blistering flood. She wanted it to wash away everything and leave just what she appeared to be, but that could never happen.

Some time later, Sophie stepped out of the shower and walk passed the now foggy mirror. She was thankful that there was no reflection to be seen from it. Quickly, she magicked her hair dry and threw on an outfit under her black teaching robes. Her stomach growled lowly and she smirked as she tucked her wand into a sleeve pocket and slipped on her shoes, heading down for lunch at last.

The halls were nearly empty now, with all but the last few stragglers gone to the Great Hall already. They slinked through the corridors, or hurried passed her without a word. The quiet was something uncommon for the school, but it did not feel empty. Somehow, the walls felt alive with the life of hundreds of children somewhere in the school.

As Sophie neared the Great Hall, the buzzing of voices filled her ears and the quiet was forgotten at once. She slipped in through the professor's entrance and slid along the back wall to her spot at the end of the table. At once, her eyes landed on Professor Severus Snape as he pushed his food around his plate with a grumpy glare.

Sophie plopped into the chair beside his and greeted him happily.

"Good afternoon, Professor Snape," she said cheerfully.

Severus hardly raised his eyes to the young witch to his left.

This did not discourage Sophie at all. She was far too used to the ways of the Potion's Master to stop talking after something as small as that. His lack of comment did not necessarily mean that he didn't want to talk, it was just his way of communicating.

"So how was your day?" Sophie questioned brightly.

Snape raised an eyebrow and glanced her way, "Fine."

The witch grinned, "Did you finish your grading?"  
The Potion's Master heaved a great sigh, "Not yet, Ms. Roe."

After all the time they'd been spending together, Severus had yet to call her by her first name. It was always 'Ms. Roe'. Sophie thought it slightly odd, but didn't mention it.

They continued their polite conversation for the remainder of the lunch period. As it started to wind down, Severus pushed his plate away and stood from the table. He noted that Sophia was also done and he wondered if she would follow him down to his office tonight.

Sophie was thinking along the same lines as she copied the man's motions and pushed back from the table to stand. He was already making his way to the exit and she quickly followed him, ending up just a pace behind him and to his right. She knew he could feel her presence trailing after him out into the Entrance Hall.

Snape didn't make any sign that he noticed she was there and Sophie was starting to wonder if he'd invite her to talk with him like they did on most nights. Perhaps he would take this time to finish his grading, but normally they could sit in the same room and not need to converse. Besides, most times, there were things in the essays that he liked to point out to her, to prove how dunderheaded most of his students were. She couldn't find fault with most of his findings, either.

It wasn't until right before the stairs to the dungeons that Snape stopped walking. It was so abrupt that Sophie almost collided with his back and she had to backpeddle a bit to put some space between them again. The Potion's Master just barely glanced behind him as he spoke to her.

"I'm simply grading papers tonight, if you'd care to join me," he said.

Sophie's face spread into a wide grin and she felt like bouncing as she nodded. Snape could not help but smirk at her eagerness and started once more down into the depths of the dungeons as she followed quickly after him.

They were alone in the dank darkness, all of the Slytherins in their Common Room and the rest of the school staying as far away as possible. This was fine with both the Slytherins and Sophie. She was used to the quiet and the way they all stayed out of each other's way for the most part. They didn't feel the need to fill silence with meaningless talk and they preferred to be by themselves.

Snape muttered the password at the door, a habit more than him trying to keep it from Sophia. She'd had that for quite some time now, though she didn't like to use it. They entered the main office to find it empty and cold as usual. The candles on the walls lit themselves, a wordless charm preformed by Severus, no doubt.

"I have the seventh year essays to grade," Snape stated, gesturing to the stack of parchment sitting on the corner of his desk.

Sophie nodded, "That's fine."

She transfigured a large chair out of something she pulled from her pocket and sat down in it with a sigh. She the proceeded to summon a book to herself from one of his shelves and open it to the page she left off at.

The two sat silently, the only sound that of Snape's quill scratching against parchment and the occassional dunk of it into the red ink. This was very common for them and Sophie thought nothing of it, but Snape's mind was running a mile a minute as he graded the essays ruthlessly. He was thinking about the information he'd received from Dumbledore not too much earlier, and not that about the Dark Lord either.

Severus Snape was stuck on the part where Dumbledore told him about Sophia's birthday and he was slightly angry that she didn't tell him about it. After all she put him through for his birthday and she didn't even mention hers to him once. He knew she hadn't brought it up in all their time together, either. Snape was very perceptive and he was sure he would have caught something as big as that. Even thinking the word 'birthday' made him cringe as he brooded over the essays.

Even though his thoughts were captivated by the questions of why she didn't tell him, Snape didn't think to call her on it. There were other things on his mind that he thought might serve his purpose of getting back at her better and he smirked to himself as a plan was formulated in his calculating mind. Occassionally he glanced up at the girl as he went over his plans, but she didn't seem to notice that anything was off. Sophia continued to read quietly, waiting until he was finished with his grading.

Finally, Severus laid down his quill and capped the inkwell, placing it back in the drawer it came from. The last of the seventh year essays were graded and there was now a well thought-out plan of how he would get back at the girl for not telling him about her birthday. He placed the stack of parchment in another drawer as Sophia looked up at him.

"Finished?" she inquired, closing the book she was reading.

Snape nodded once, shutting the drawer softly. He rose from the desk and moved around it to stand before her.

"Shall we move to a more comfortable setting?" he suggested, gesturing to the small hidden door in the corner that led into his private quarters.

"Of course," Sophia replied and she followed him through the darkness, extinguishing the lights as they left the room for good.

They came out into Snape's front room, the place more comfortable than his office, though still rather cold and impersonal. The fireplace remained unlit as they settled themselves around it, instead candles springing to life around them.

"I heard about the incident in the corridors earlier today," Sophie stated with a grin as she pulled her feet up under her on the chair.

She watched as Snape chuckled darkly and smirked. Not only did she love to listen to his stories, but he enjoyed telling them. Sophie thought she could listen to him talk forever, the way his deep voice resonated through the room, entrancing her so thoroughly. She was happily entertained as he went on to explain what happened with the boys throwing around the ball in the hallways and the detentions he was able to dole out, the points lost from his rival houses.

It was in this way that she learned of his meeting with Dumbledore, though he didn't tell her what it was about at first. Sophie was forced to do a little digging to figure out that they'd discussed the reasons the Dark Lord hadn't summoned them in so long. Snape told her little of what was actually thought out, leaving her out of any of the plans they formulated in the time they spent together, but he did give her the basics and for that she was content to let the rest be ignored.

The topic of his meeting with Dumbledore didn't last long. They soon moved on to other things. Sophie talked about her day with Professor Sprout and what she did in the greenhouses. She gestured wildly as she went on to talk about Professor Umbridge stopping by in the middle of the first year's class and making a fool out of her mentor. Her anger was barely contained at having to sit back and watch as the woman she spent most of her time with was insulted.

Snape watched with fascination as the girl spoke. He couldn't believe how easily she spoke to him, sat in the same room with him. No one ever was comfortable enough to just simply talk to him. Everyone he'd ever know had some kind of agenda they wanted to accomplish by talking to him. Not Sophia. She was completely relaxed, telling him about her day instead of worrying about the future or his past or what he was going to do with his Death Eater or double-crossing status.

The strange thing was, Snape didn't mind listening to her either. Normally, he loathed being forced to sit around and discuss other's problems, the ins and outs of everyday life was very mundane and boring. With Sophia, he realized that listening wasn't that bad and even talking about himself came easier. There was a relaxation with her that he couldn't find with anyone else and it came without him even trying.

If he hadn't been watching her so closely, he might have missed the way she flinched suddenly.

Sophie was in the middle of telling the Potion's Master about a particualarly funny incident in class that morning when it happened. The burning sensation that had been building since she'd gone to bed the previous night flashed red-hot and she flinched before she could think to stop herself. Immediately, her eyes shot to Snape's and she knew that he wasn't being summoned. She also knew that he knew what her flinch meant.

She stood from the chair with a flourish and an apologizing grimace.

"You don't feel it?" she questioned, though she knew the answer to that without asking.

"Feel what, silly girl?" Snape snapped back, even though he was aware of what she was talking about.

"I'm being summoned," Sophie replied, feeling the burning on her shoulder become intense once more.

"Then you must go," Severus said.

Sophie nodded, "I'm sorry to cut this short, Professor."

Snape simply rolled his eyes and sneered at her, "You can Apparate from here."

There was no more talk as Sophie spun on her heel and disappeared from the room with a pop. Snape watched the spot where she once was, wondering why she'd been summoned but no one else was.


	29. Chapter 29

Sophie appeared in the middle of a forest, so dark that the light of the afternoon could not penatrate it. She stood before her master, her snake-like eyes watching her every move.

"Ah, Ssophia," he stated upon her arrival.

Sophie lowered her head, a sign of respect that all Death Eaters knew to obey. Voldemort would not tolerate insolence from anyone and certainly not from the small girl who stood before him. He sneered down at her as she wondered what he could have called her here for.

Slowly, he circled her and Sophie felt very much like a bird. She was obviously the prey this snake was considering. She wasn't necessarily afraid, but she knew better than to think she could try anything. She was at the mercy of the Dark Lord and that was something even the strongest of wizards would cower at.

Instead of blubbering like a baby, Sophie kept her head held high, her mind blocked, and her emotions in check. She allowed Voldemort to finish his circle around her and finally met his eyes when he came to stand before her once more.

"We have much to discusssss," he hissed.

"There isn't much to discuss, Severus," Dumbledore was saying, safe in his office inside Hogwarts castle. "Sophie has her own role to play in the war against Voldemort and he has need of her now. We can do nothing for now. We don't even know where she was summoned to."

Snape stood at the window with his arms folded tightly across his chest, only the tops of his hands sticking out from his long sleeves. He glowered at the grounds, not knowing why she would be called without him.

"If I didn't know any better, Severus, I would think you actually cared for the girl," Dumbledore stated, sitting behind his desk.

His eyes twinkled brightly as he watched the younger man over his half-moon spectecals. Books and papers were splayed out over his desk enough to make it seem as if he would have more important matters at hand, but it didn't look as though he noticed any of it.

"It's a good thing you know better, then," Snape replied, turning from the window. "I simply am worried for my safety now with Ms. Roe as a spy as well. What use does the Dark Lord have for me, when he has another competent spy at his disposal?"  
Though his concerns were justified, Dumbledore didn't seem to give them much thought before he dismissed them altogether.

"That isn't going to happen, Severus. Tom has too much invested in you to dispose of you now," the Headmaster stated. "Besides, Sophie has another role to play and she isn't much of a spy against me or the Order. She isn't included for many of the meetings and we don't get together too much to discuss that side of things. No, Tom has her here for other reasons but they are not to replace you."

Snape wasn't reassured, but he sighed and let the subject drop.

Sophia had already been gone an hour, but this was not an unusual length of time that the Dark Lord might command of his followers. Severus only came to Dumbledore because he figured that the Headmaster should be warned about this. He also didn't like the empty feeling his room was left with after she Disapparated.

The Potion's Master did not leave himself time to dwell on what this could mean. So he enjoyed the witch's company. That would not be so unheard of if it weren't applied to someone like him. But Severus Snape did not enjoy anyone's company and he certainly didn't worry about anyone else. So what was the feeling doing in the pit of his stomach, masked only by the cool indiference he was so used to showing the world?

Snape raised an eyebrow at the Headmaster, as if daring him to say what those 'other reasons' were. Dumbledore did not take the bait. Instead, he sighed and glanced at the darkening window. It would soon be dinner and then night would take over the castle once more.

Before either wizards could say much more, the fireplace blazed green and a head poked through. Kingsley Shacklebolt's face stared up at Dumbledore, green flames licking up the sides of his head.

"Excuse me, Headmaster, Professor," he said. "But there's been..."

"Of course, Kingsley," Dumbledore replied. "If you'll excuse us, Severus."

Snape did not need to be told twice before he swept from the room. The winding staircase led him down to the Entrance Hall where he quickly pushed through the students and started down the stairs into the dungeons toward the sanctuary of his rooms. He wondered about why he needed to tell Dumbledore about Sophia's departure, but he didn't linger on it long as he muttered the password to his rooms and entered.

The room was as empty as he'd left it, though Snape didn't really expect anything else. Behind him, the door closed softly. Candles came to life as he stalked to the chair in the center of the room, his favorite chair, and settled himself into it. The atmosphere was still slightly empty, but he ignored it and summoned a book to himself from one of his many bookshelves. Quietly, he started to read.

Sophie was quiet as she listened to the Dark Lord talk, his voice a sharp hissing, though he was speaking plain English. He was not speaking to her at that moment. Instead, he was giving orders to his rat-like minion, Wormtail. She wondered why they all seemed like animals, Voldemort a snake and his servant a rat. Not only did they look like them, but they were also very close to the animal of their likness.

They were now in Malfoy Manor, the Dark Lord's private room, to be exact. Sophie was awaiting orders, but it seemed there wasn't much he wanted with her except to call her from the castle. They'd spoken briefly while out in the woods, then moved to the Manor without much talk. Then he called Wormtail and she was left forgotten.

This didn't really bother Sophie. If Voldemort wanted to just leave her be, that was fine with her. She knew that when he finally directed his attention to her, it would surely be unwanted. Nothing pleasant could come of attention from the most evil wizard to walk the planet.

So, instead of calling attention to herself and speeding up the process of torture and talk of destroying the muggle world, Sophie studied the large snake in the corner of the room. The beast was coiled tightly around itself, sleeping lightly. Every once in a while, she moved her head or looked up at her master before laying back down. Sophie knew that Nagini was the closest thing to Voldemort and that he would never allow anything to happen to her. She wondered why the snake was so important.

She wasn't able to ponder on it long, though. The Dark Lord finished up his business with Wormtail and looked to her with an evil, horrid smirk. His eyes looked her over once before he started speaking. Sophie gave him everything he asked for, information, obedience.

She was relieved that she was a better Occlumens than he was Legilimens because there were many things she kept from him during those conversations. She produced fake memories with ease and fed them to the man in front of her without guilt. The only emotion she felt was the slight tinge of fear at the very back of her mind that one of these times he would realize the lies she so readily gave and that would be the end of her. Sophie had been working with him since she was a child, but that did not mean he had any attachment to her, it just meant that he could better manipulate her with the knowledge and closeness he had on her.

At the end of their meeting, Voldemort looked on her with cold, but satisfied eyes. Their plans were still in order. Everything was ready with the girl and as soon as the time was right, he would use her to his advantage. She was his secret weapon, indispensible at the moment. But that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun with her. He wouldn't kill her, but he could harm her.

Sophie was expecting the blow from the Cruciatus Curse that came her way, but that didn't mean she was prepared for it. One could never get used to the pain that was inflicted by such a curse. It was intense, pressing in the forefront of her mind. She couldn't think of anything else. There was no way to get passed it. Her body spasmed on the hard floor of the room as she lost all control. Her mind went to a place where the pain couldn't touch her.

There was not much in this small corner of her mind. Happy thoughts, memories which meant a lot to her, they were sparse, but they helped her to keep her sanity in moments like these. One thing was here that wasn't the last time she'd used this small space of her brain. A man dressed in all black, hair long and greasy, and eyes as black as night.

Severus Snape stood in her safe haven and she was only slightly surprised to find him there. After all, they were growing closer lately and she did like him. There were no bad memories attached to him and he did make her feel safe. Of course he would be here, in the safest parts of her mind.

With that settled, Sophie set out to shield herself from the pain. The wizard stepped up, stood in front of her, and raised his wand. The pain was still there, but it was almost like he was countering it, protecting her. She was able to forget and ignore the intense agony, focused instead on the protection Snape gave her.

For the duration of the curse, this is how she got through it with her sanity intact. Not that she would ever tell anyone, but Snape stayed there, giving comfort and protecting her. She knew it was a figment of her imagination and that it wasn't real, but it did help and Sophie knew that was all that really mattered. She did not want to end up like the Longbottoms.

When finally tired of the torture and Sophie's voice ran hoarse from screaming, Voldemort dropped the curse and waited until she was able to right herself again. Her body shook from the linger affects, but her back was straight and she was able to meet his eyes, her mental shields as strong as ever.

The Dark Lord was pleased with the way she screamed, but also disappointed. Snape didn't scream. This witch was supposed to be stronger than him. She was supposed to be stronger than all of them, that was why she was his secret weapon. He scowled at her in anger.

"You dare scream?" he yelled down at her. "You must be stronger than that!"

He screamed the Unforgivable at her again and she tried, but couldn't hold back the cry that escaped her lips. Sophie fell to the floor, once again trying to reach that small spot tucked into the corner of her mind.

The curse was lifted before she could locate the much needed protection.

Voldemort was now standing from his throne, the only piece of furniture in the large, rectangular room. He circled her, spitting before her face as Sophie moaned lowly.

"You must be stronger or I have no use for you, Sophia," he stated, glaring down at her coldly.

As she slowly came to her senses, Sophie noticed that there were others in the room now. Some she could put names to, others she could not. Lucius Malfoy, Wormtail, Goyle, and two other men she'd seen around before. They laughed at her pain and waited for orders from their master.

"Harm, but not kill," Voldemort told them.

Two hours and still no sign of Sophia, though that didn't necessarily mean she wasn't back. It only meant that she didn't come to see him when she returned. Snape didn't think this was the case. He knew what meeting with the Dark Lord were like and the feeling in his stomach grew worse with each passing minute.

The book could not hold his attention for long and he gave up on that nearly half an hour earlier. Instead, he worked on a potion in his lab. Madam Pomfrey needed to restock a few potions and he decided to use this time to work on them. He hoped they would bring some peace to him, but they were mindless potions and didn't require enough thought to hold him captive for long. While his hands worked, he wondered what Sophia could possibly be doing with the Dark Lord.

When it was time for dinner, Severus put a stasis charm on the simmering cauldron he was working with and cleaned his hands before leaving the room. He hoped he would see Sophia fine and well at the Head Table to his left for the evening meal, but somehow he knew that this would not be what he would find.

Snape was correct in his assuption that Sophia was not back. He took his usual seat at the end of the table and gathered some food onto the plate before him. The seat to his left was empty, but it was still early.

The rest of the Head Table filled in and students came and went, but Sophia Roe never showed. Snape knew what that had to mean. He sighed as he pushed his plate away and rose from the table, heading back to rooms.

Dumbledore found him before he could get there. Sophia had returned. She was in the Hospital Wing.

It was all Snape could do not to rush. He forced himself to move at the same speed as the Headmaster, refusing to allow himself to ask any questions that might allow concern to seep into his voice, but of course, Dumbledore knew anyway.

The Headmaster watched his potion's Professor out of the corner of his eye as they headed up to the Hospital Wing. To someone who didn't know him as well, he may have looked cold and uncaring, but Albus could see the subtle changes in the man. He was not as indifferent as he might want everyone to think.

They entered the Hospital Wing only minutes later, but to Snape it could have been hours or days. He could not have described what was going through his mind during those long minutes. He knew what could happen in meetings with the Dark Lord and he knew what might be found on the hospital bed before him.

Snape followed Dumbledore passed all of the empty beds, thankful that there were no eyes to witness the emotion that was playing across his usual stone-cold face. At the end of the room, behind a partition, Madam Pomfrey emerged. Her face was solemn, eyes sad. For just a moment, Snape thought the worst.

"She's stable," the mediwitch stated, voice showing her age much more today than it normally did.

Severus felt the smallest sigh of relief leave his lips, but he knew that this wasn't great news. Stable was a relative term. It meant that she would not die right now. It meant that she was still hurt, worse than just some cuts and scrapes. She could have died and the thought scared him more than he'd like to admit even to himself.

"Did she say what happened, Poppy?" Dumbledore questioned.

They stood just outside the curtain hiding Sophia from nosy eyes and Snape was forced to wait to see her for himself. He imagined the worst, pale skin, glossy eyes, no breath. It was all too easy to imagine her as another of the dead bodies he saw so frequently while working for the Dark Lord.

"She'd been subjected to the Crutiatus Curse for some amount of time," the witch answered. "I had to give her a calming draught to help with the tremors, though they still wrack her body in her sleep. She told me that when he was done cursing her, he allowed his followers to attack her. She couldn't name all of the hexes and curses they used against her, some of them were non-verbal, others she didn't hear over the pain and other's shouting. They kicked and hit her, whatever they could do to cause harm, but nothing that could possibly kill her."

Dumbledore sighed and Snape felt sick to his stomach. All too many times he'd been around one of these gatherings, where anyone and everyone was allowed to just have fun with the person of the Dark Lord's choosing. He himself was forced to participate many times, cursing and adding a kick or two to some unknown wizard.

"You can go and see her," the mediwitch said. "But do not wake her. She needs her rest if she is to heal properly."

The stern woman left then, walking briskly back to her office. Severus and the Headmaster were alone on the outside of the privacy curtain. Together, they slowly made their way to the inside to see for themselves how bad the young witch truly was.

The breath was stolen from Snape the moment he laid eyes on Sophia. She lay pale and umoving on her bed, but for the small rise and fall of her chest, covered by a thin hospital gown and blanket. Her eyes were closed, bruises covered her face and exposed arms and Snape knew there were more that they couldn't see. Every few seconds her body would twitch and shake with the after affects of the Unforgivable she'd been subjected to for so long.

This was only slightly better than the picture he conjured in his head, yet in many ways it was worse. This Sophia was real life, laying in front of him. Though she wasn't dead, there was this unexpected frailty to her that shook Snape to the very core of his being. She always seemed too kind and happy, but never once did she look fragile or vunerable to him.

"I have things I must attend to," Dumbledore said, braking the silence what could have been hours later. "You should stay with Sophie. She will need a familiar face to see when she wakes up."

At the sound of the Headmaster's voice, Snape felt the cold wall slide back into place and he sneered at the older wizard.

"And why would I stay with her? Do I not have things to attend to as well?" Severus sneered. "Have a house-elf do it. I'm sure Poppy can handle things on her own. I am no mediwitch or healer."

"I have asked you to stay with her, Severus. Not a house-elf. Poppy has to sleep and take care of others. I'm sure you can handle staying with Sophie for just a few hours until the morning," Dumbledore replied.

There was no arguing with this side of the Headmaster. This was how he was always roped into things he didn't want to do, but today he didn't even really want to put up a fight about it.

Dumbledore nodded before turning around and slowly leaving the room and Severus to himself. The wing was dark, just a single candle lit on the nightstand beside Sophia's bed. In the dim lighting, he conjured a large, comfortable chair and settled himself into it. He watched the woman lying in the hospital bed and felt his stomach churn. He knew there would be no sleep tonight. Still, somehow, he manage to find it anyway.

Only hours later, Snape was awoken by the sound of movement. He was always a light sleeper and the uncommon noise aroused him into full wakefulness. His eyelids slid open, dark eyes landing on an unusual sight. It took him a moment to remember the events of the hours before he fell asleep and then to curse himself for falling into oblivion.

Sophia struggled against the confining blankets wrapped around her and Snape stood, laying a hand on the bed and effectively calming all movement as she looked up at him. Her eyes held no fear. She didn't seem to be in any pain.

"Professor Snape," she whispered softly, her voice rough.

Snape's was soft in contrast as he whispered back, "Ms. Roe."

"The blankets," she explained, reaching to attempt to move them once again.

"Let me," Snape replied, quickly fixing what had been bothering her so much.

He looked back into her eyes, finding them staring up at him in the darkness. The light of the candle was long since burned down to a faint glow, but he could still see her perfectly.

Sophie watched Snape's face as he fixed the blankets for her when she could not. She was slightly surprised to find him so kind, but it was easily forgotten about. His eyes came back up to meet hers and she found something much more shocking. There was a softness to his eyes that she never expected to find. He seemed genuinely worried about her comfort, about her in general.

They stayed like that for some time, but neither could state just how much that was. Finally, Snape stepped back and Sophie searched for something to say to break the silence which had been so perfect only moments before. Her eyes cast around the darkness, looking for something to spark inspiration for conversation.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Sophie asked, her eyes landing on the chair.

Snape looked back at the chair, feeling as the wall came up once again.

"Only a few hours," he replied.

Sophie could see that the moment between them passed, but after all the changes in their relationship, she could sense when something between them shifted. Now was one of those times. Snape allowed her to see something that she was sure hadn't been seen by anyone in a very long time, if it'd ever been seen before. She was amazed that she would be the one he showed it to and she treasured the fact even as he closed in on himself again.

"I'm sorry to keep you from your bed," Sophie said, grinning through a spasm.

"Though the sentiment is appreciated, it was only under orders that I was forced to sit in that thing for so long," Snape sneered, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward.

Something definitely shifted.


End file.
